Rare, award winning 1960s Scandinavian 'Bead Bird' leads
Fall 20th Century Decorative Arts auction in Los Angeles
........
Highlights from the sale included the auction catalogue's
cover lot, a mid-century stoneware and metal bronze 'Bead Bird' figure by
Finnish artist, Birger Kaipiainen (est. $20,000-30,000, sold for $55,000). The
bird was acquired by the consignor in 1960 at the Arabia store in Helsinki,
Finland. After the purchase, the offered lot was submitted to the Milan
Triennale where it was one of a group of 'Bead Birds,' which were shown in the
Finnish installation and ultimately won the Grand Prix of that year. A version of
the bird in the offered lot was put on a Finnish stamp, a testament to
Kaipiainen's popularity in the region.