Kaj Franck 1541 Large Blue Carafe

A tall geometric indigo blue glass vessel designed by Kaj Franck in 1954 for Nuutajärvi Notsjö, Finland. This large vase or carafe, big enough for the table, belongs to the '1541' series, produced between 1954 and 1968. It is composed of two opposing truncated cones, the short one at the top creates the pouring area, the elongated one at the bottom accommodates liquid, and where they meet a perfect place to grip the bottle is made. The design reflects Franck's longstanding interest in simple geometry and carefully balanced proportions. The form is both sculptural and highly functional, with a clarity that is characteristic of much of his work. The object was produced using the turn-mould blown technique, whereby the molten glass gather is rotated within the mould whilst being blown, eliminating seam lines. This process results in a clean surface and sharply defined silhouette. Produced in different sizes, this large example, at 23.5 cm tall, holds a bottle of wine. A smaller version of this design can be seen here.