The new glass collection, Mystical Forest, includes embossed tableware made with modern and traditional glassmaking techniques in the world-famous Iittala Glass Factory in Finland. The collection’s pitchers are mouth-blown, which makes each piece one-of-a-kind. Inspired by the Finn Family Moomintroll novel, the collection invites you to discover the magic of a mystical forest. The items will become available globally from 1 February 2024.
An invitation to discover the magic of a mystical forest
Moomin Arabia’s first glass tableware collection is inspired by Tove Jansson’s novel Finn Family Moomintroll (1948). Jansson’s book illustrations are abundant with fantastic vegetation that has provided wonderful motifs for the embossed dishes.
Each piece is decorated with beautiful details and textures that capture the magic of a mystical forest with a touch of playfulness. Among the flowers, leaves, twigs and mosses, Moomintroll, Snorkmaiden, Little My, and Snufkin invite you to play hide-and-seek. In the woods, the everyday grows faint, and the curious mind finds all kinds of magic to wonder about.
The dishes come in classic clear and elegant pine green colourways, making them a suitable choice to be combined with any tasteful table setting as well as existing Moomin Arabia dishes.
“We wanted to design a collection that adds a little bit of Moomin magic to our daily lives. Whether you’re a fan of the Moomin-like playfulness or simply appreciate beautiful glass design, this collection is sure to delight people of all ages,” Moomin Arabia’s Head of Design, Annika Tickle, says.
Made in Iittala glass factory in Finland
The glass tableware collection is Moomin Arabia’s all-time first, and the embossed dishes are made in the Iittala Glass Factory. Iittala Village in Southern Finland is the centre of Finland’s glassmaking, where the expert artisans keep the factory’s prestigious, 140-year-old heritage alive. Finland’s glass making tradition stretches back over 300 years, and it has not gone unnoticed. Just recently, in December, the knowledge, craft and skills of handmade glass production were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity–at the application of Finland and five other countries.
Today, the factory is owned by Fiskars Group, housing a.o. the globally-known Arabia and Iittala brands—both on the top ten list of Finland’s most respected*. (*Taloustutkimus 2023)
The complex and unique production process
The embossed glassware collection includes a tumbler, a bowl, a plate, and a pitcher. The design has been created by Moomin Arabia’s in-house team, working in close collaboration with the Iittala glass factory’s craftspeople.
The designs explore patterns and textures in nature, and embossing these highly detailed shapes is a demonstration of true glassmaking know-how.
For example, the production process of the tumblers and bowls is very delicate, as the patterns are asymmetric, and the surface of the pattern is very bright making even the tiniest imperfections visible.
For the first time at Iittala’s factory, such complex embossings are shaped with machines, which leaves no room for mistakes—every dish should come out from the mould perfectly, but in reality this is extremely challenging, and the tiny imperfections are allowed – this living nature makes the dishes even more special as in a way they’re all unique.
The collection’s plates are made by using a mechanical pressing method, which is, perhaps, slightly less challenging process
compared to the one applied to tumblers and bowls – but not in any way simple either. Every product goes through a number of
strict quality
Manufacturing the collection also includes traditional artisanship: the pitcher is mouth-blown. Every glass blower has their signature technique and style, making each piece one- of-a-kind. From start to finish, making one pitcher takes five people and approximately six hours of work.
“There was a lot of back-and-forth dialogue with Iittala’s artisans, and finally, it was truly fascinating to see the ideas come alive in the glass blowers’ hands as they gathered the molten glass mass from the extremely hot furnace and worked it by blowing and with moulds,” Tickle says.
The Mystical Forest collection will become available globally on 1 February 2024. The tumbler, bowl, and plate are available from the Moomin Shop online, Moomin stores, Moomin Arabia webshop and Iittala Stores and webshop, as well as widely from retailers. The pitcher is exclusively available from Moomin Arabia and Iittala’s sales channels.
Out now!