- 60
Tapio Wirkkala
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Tapio Wirkkala
- An Important Sculpture
- aeroplane veneer birch with modern lacquered metal display
Provenance
Owner of Soinne et Kni, Helsinki, Finland
Jackson Design AB, Stockholm, 2007
Jackson Design AB, Stockholm, 2007
Literature
Marianne Aav, ed., Tapio Wirkkala: Eye, Hand and Thought, Helsinki, 2000, p. 241 (for a related sculpture)
Condition
Excellent overall condition. An incredibly dynamic shape that is heightened by the intricacy of the construction. Minor areas of sensitively undertaken infill, which are likely original to the design and only visible on close inspection. The surfaces with a few very minute surface scratches to the outermost portions of the sculpture. The sculpture is presently affixed to a modern lacquered metal display with minor surface scratches. This piece is a true masterwork of sculpture and shows the extraordinary detail and craftsmanship of Tapio Wirkkala.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
This monumental sculpture was in the collection of the Soinne family, who owned a factory in Helsinki making plywood for aircraft propellers and introduced Tapio Wirkkala to laminate plywood.
Wirkkala made his first experiments in plywood in 1948, drawn to this material by its rhythmic surface patterns and immediate associations with speed and dynamics. Wirkkala’s first plywood objects were quite simple forms, inspired by nature. However, in the 1950s and early 1960s he carved several sculptures, that became more abstract as he explored the possibilities of plywood to seemingly challenge laws of gravity.