Alvar Aalto created the Aalto vase in various shapes, sizes and colors for Iittala and the World Fair in Paris in 1937. Supposedly, it is based on sketches made with the intriguing pseudonym “The Eskimo Woman’s Leather Breeches”, but Alvar Aalto was the son of a cartographer – perhaps the shapes are derived from the Finnish landscape and lakes. Whatever the case, his intention was for the user to decide how and where the pieces would be used. The freedom and interpretation of both origin and function are what keeps the pieces fresh and contemporary.
