iittala kartio tumbler

lead-free molded glass

Kaj Franck designed the Kartio in 1958 with a stated goal: to democratize design. Kartio means cone in Finnish — a reference to the geometry that gives the glass its character, widening slightly from a solid base. Franck, known as the conscience of Finnish design, believed real beauty could only be found in the practicality of use. The collection won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale. Iittala resumed production in 2011 and has never stopped.

They are available in clear and a quiet range of colors — grey, green, blue, linen — each one showing off Iittala’s particular mastery of colored glass. The argument for a set of eight is the same argument Franck made in 1958: good design should be the daily version, not the special occasion version. These are the glasses you use for water on a Tuesday. That is the point.

selected because Franck was right — these should be the glasses you actually use.