Star Petal

Name: Star Petal
 
Type: Heavy clear pressed glass tealight or votive holder
 
Year: Circa 1970s–1990s
 
Set: No
 
Mark: None -  Attributed to Scandinavian (possibly Finland’s Iittala or Kosta Boda, Sweden), or West German pressed glass
 
History: This compact but weighty molded clear glass object, standing approximately 7.5 cm tall, features rounded vertical "petals" or drops radiating around a central circular well. These thick rounded lobes are characteristic of modernist Scandinavian design—particularly from the 1970s onward—when form, weight, and light play were central themes.
 
 
The wide central opening and sturdy base suggest this was designed for use as a tealight or votive candle holder, although it may also serve as a single-stem bud vase or sculptural accent. The central insert appears designed to catch light and amplify the candle’s glow, enhanced by the clear convex forms around the perimeter.
 
 
Stylistically, it recalls works by Iittala’s Tapio Wirkkala or Kosta Boda’s late 20th-century lines, though many unmarked pressed glass candleholders from West Germany (e.g., Walther-Glas) also used similar forms and thicknesses during this time.
 
 
The lack of a visible maker’s mark or acid stamp makes definitive attribution difficult, but the casting quality and intentionality of the design suggest it was not mass-market discount ware.
 
Flaws: None