Fabulous Pair of Vintage 1980s Finnish Glass Candleholders by Iittala Glass, Arktia Candleholders from the Arkipelago Series Designed by Timo Sarpaneva, Design Year 1978.

I am continuing my effort to downsize as unfortunately we will have to move all our belongings into temporary storage due to builders carrying out major remediation works to our brand new home.
I’m trying to minimize the pain by reducing the amount of packing required to be done!

For sale here is a Fabulous Pair of Vintage 1980’s Finnish Glass Candleholders by Iittala Glass, Arktia Candleholders from the Arkipelago Series Designed by Timo Sarpaneva, Design Year 1978.

These are a stunning pair of vintage Scandi candlesticks which are just as relevant in a 2026 interior as they were in a 1970's/80’s Mid-Century setting.

The candleholders are cast of clear solid heavy glass featuring lovely air bubbles and a transparent aquamarine wave-like stripe. They are from the series Arktia, model 2795, by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala. The design of the candlesticks was originally taken from the series called Arkipelago, design year, 1978, which was only made in clear glass mass, but in 1985 items from the series were made with the aquamarine wave section and called Arktia - symbolizing the blue water under the ice in the arctic.

The sculptural Arktia candleholders work great as a statement piece either alone, as a pair, or in a group of several, as they were produced in three sizes. Most often sold individually, it’s lovely to have a matching pair.

These ones measure roughly 4.25 inches/ 10.5 cm in height. Due to the handmade nature of these items, there is a slight difference in height and weight between the two. They are very heavy, one weighing 794 grammes and other weighing 830 grammes.

Iittala Glass is an iconic Finnish brand which has always been at the cutting edge of Finnish design, employing famous designers such as Alvar Aalto, Marimekko and Timo Sarpaneva. At the heart of Iittala's design ethos lies a playful yet enduring approach to Finnish glassware craftsmanship. Since its inception in 1881, this spirited company has evolved from a glass manufacturer to a beacon of Finnish design – a creative cosmos of functional beauty.
Although glass still remains at the core of its heritage, Iittala’s collections are nowadays a testament to the joy of everyday living, offering a kaleidoscope of versatile tableware and décor in all colours of glass. Step into the enchanting world of Iittala and sprinkle a little magic into your daily routines!

Timo Sarpaneva (1926-2006) was a Finnish designer who contributed to making Finnish design well-known in the world. He graduated from the Institute for Industrial Arts (the forerunner of the University of Arts and Design Helsinki) in 1948. Even though he was trained as a graphic designer, he spent the majority of his life working as an industrial designer.

These are scarce enough to find online and are priced from about €60 upwards for a single candleholder in this size, plus customs and shipping, as they are rarely available in Ireland.

One store in New York is looking for €475 for a pair, so buy mine instead and save yourself a small fortune!!

Priced and selling as a pair only,

Check out my other ads and more coming soon! Discounts possible for multiple purchases!