As part of the World Design Capitol Helsinki 2012 celebration, there will be an Oiva Toikka Exhibition at the famous Galerie Forsblom in downtown Helsinki - from May 12th to June 3rd, 2012. See the link below:

http://wdchelsinki2012.fi/ohjelma/2011-10-25/galerie-forsblom

   Perhaps you can see the exhibit, and then share your experience with us.

Thank you. 

Hi Wolf -

    Thanks for the information on the blue on silver foil "Nuutajarvi 1703 - Wartsila Finland" label on your bird. According to Great Glass Listing , both the clear and silver foil version were used from 1977 until about 1993. Please click on the link to see the information. Your example would appear to be among the last "Birds by Toikka" to bear this label.  Thank you for the information.

Tom

   Saturday, March 17th we visited the Mingei International Museum to see the "Northern Stars" exhibit of 20th Century Design. It is a fabulous exhibit - furniture, textiles, ceramic, glass - and several Birds by Toikka. Several catalog birds were presented, but the highlights are 4 very special custom made kiikkuri, that were collected by Charmane Kaplan on her trips to Finland and Nuutajarvi. They have unique color combinations that I have never seen on other kiikkuri.
   I have posted 8 pictures of the exhibit on the User Albums section of this website. Log In, then enter User Albums. Select Nokikana, and then near the bottom select "Mingei International Museum" to see the pictures.  Included in the pictures are 3 additional custom kiikkuri that are displayed in the Museum Directors Office. 6 of the Kiikkuri are "footed", and one is "resting". This appears to be a "saved" bird, that suffered a broken foot, which was ground down to make a resting position.
   The Museum personel were very friendly and helpful. We greatly appreciated Martha E. who guided us around, and showed us the Director's office. Martha knew Charmane personally, and worked with her when she was a member of the Board of the Museum. If you have the opportunity to visit San Diego - put the Mingei Museum on your "must see" list - and ask to see the Birds by Toikka. Most of them roost in the Director's Office when not on display.

   There is currently a display of Toikka birds at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California (in Balboa Park). http://www.mingei.org/    They are part of an exhibit entitled “NORTHERN STARS: Twentieth Century Finnish Design”. See: http://www.mingei.org/exhibitions/northern-stars    
 The exhibit opened January 29th and closes April 22nd , 2012.  The Mingei Int’l Museum was the recipient of the Toikka Bird Collection of Charmaine and Maurice Kaplan: http://www.mingei.org/join_support/kaplanestate    
 This collection includes several custom made Kiikkuri (footed and resting), as well as other birds. Bob and I had a chance to review some of the birds a few years ago, and found them to be exceptional. You may see a picture of some of them at: http://www.mingei.org/blog/seeing-through-glass-brightly
   If you have an opportunity to visit the Mingei International Museum, please look for the Toikka birds and then tell us about the exhibit. I hope to see them myself in March. 

An update on this topic.
I was successful at acquiring a Jänkätirri at last. It was located in a fleamarket in Finland. I find it a stunning bird. If you're interested, it is posted in the User Albums section (bottom of the Categories page). See: Nokikana -> Uncommon Birds and Eggs.
Try the link below if you are logged in.
http://bn-collection.com/v/user+albums/Nokikana/Uncommon+Birds/Jankatirri-2A.jpg.html 
Now the hunt for the Kulorastus. 

The National Glass Centre in Sunderland, England recently had an exhibition of Oiva Toikka birds - from November 10, 2010 to March 13, 2011. Was anyone so fortunate as to see this display? Do you have any comments on the collection?  Thank you.

Since first posting this question, I have acquired two additional birds signed "IT". These are:

   Green Whip-poor-will / Pajusotka  - Birds of Passage
   Bald Coot / Nokikana  - Birds of Passage

They were acquired from sources in the USA, consistent with being export birds.

All examples are posted on my "User Album" - Nokikana.

Best regards to all

[Teoksia Kokoelmissa]

According to the recent book, "Oiva Toikka - 50 Vuotta Oivalluksia" (Oiva Toikka 50 Years of Insight), Designmuseo 2010, Oiva Toikka work (all his art forms, not only birds) can be found in the following collections:

Teoksia Kokoelmissa
The Corning Museum of Glass, New York
Designmuseo, Helsinki
Dusseldorf Kunstmuseum, Dusseldorf
Helsingin kaupungin taidemuseo, Helsinki
Hokkaido Museum of Moderm Art, Sapporo
Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Coburg
Leerdam Museum, Amsterdam
Museum fur Kunst und Gwerbe, Hampuri
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Nationalmuseum Tukholma
Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim
Sara Hildenin taidemuseo, Helsinki
Suomen kansallismuseo, Helsinki
Suomen Lasimuseo, Riihimaki
Tampereen kaupungin taidekokoelmat, Tampere
Valtion taidemuseo, Helsinki
Valtion taidekokoelmat
Victoria & Albert Museum, Lontoo
Yksityiskokoelmat

Julkiset taideteokset
Elaketurvakeskus, Helsinki
Hotelli Hilton, Helsinki Strand, Helsinki
Loistoristeilija Royal Princess
Loistoristeilija  Viking Star
Philips Oy Ab, Espoo
Pohjoismaiden Investointipankki, Helsinki
Shell Oy, Vantaa
Sokos Hotelli Presidentti, Helsinki

Excuse my translation to English which follows:
Works in collections
 The Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, USA
 Design Museum, Helsinki
 Kunstmuseum Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
 Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki
 Hokkaido Museum of Moderm Art, Sapporo, Japan
 Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Coburg, Germany
 Leerdam Museum, Amsterdam (sic) (in Leerdam, Holland I think.)
 Museum fur Kunst und Gwerbe, Hamburg, Germany
 The Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, USA
 National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden
 Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim, Norway
 Sara Hilden Art Museum, Helsinki
 National Museum of Finland, Helsinki
 Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimaki
 Tampere city's art collections, Tampere, Finland
 National Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
 National Art Collections
 Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
 Private Collections

 Public art
 Central Pension Security Institute, Helsinki, Finland
 Hotel Hilton Helsinki Strand, Helsinki
 Luxury liner, the Princess Royal
 Luxury liner, the Viking Star
 Philips Oy Ab, Espoo, Finland
 Nordic Investment Bank, Helsinki
 Shell Ltd, Vantaa, Finland
 Sokos Hotel President, Helsinki

And of course the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, USA is another collection.
Of course we must be grateful to have the best "virtual" exhibit of Birds byToikka, here at http://bn-collection.com.
Thanks Bob!

   If you visit any of the museums above, please provide us a brief review of the exhibit.  Thanks.
- Nokikana

Hi Dan -
   Welcome to the Forum.
   Great bird! - it's a resting or sleeping Kiikkuri - probably made in 1976-1978 - and has nice color. Do you have the history of this bird? How did it come to the USA, and how did you acquire it? Most birds have some interesting history.
   Good luck on the auction. 
Tom
   

   Thank you Rakaal !  That is very helpful.    We thought " IT " stood for Inkeri Toikka, but did not understand why she would sign a bird. There are two different styles of writing - two people perhaps? I posted pictures of my birds and the signatures on this web site in my "Album" - see:
http://bn-collection.com/v/user+albums/Nokikana/Signed_IT_/ 
   Hannu asked Oiva about these IT signatures, and he did not remember, or know, about them. But it appears that these birds were for export, and to the USA. That they were sold by airlines and airports, and by AMEX is new information for me.  Thank you!  Now I will try my Finnish - 

Kiitos Rakaal! Tämä on erittäin hyödyllistä. Ajattelimme "IT" seisoi Inkeri Toikka, mutta ei ymmärrä, miksi hän allekirjoittaa lintu. On olemassa kaksi eri tyylejä kirjallisesti - kaksi eri ihmistä kenties? I lähetetty kuvia minun lintujen ja allekirjoitukset This web site in my "Album" - katso:
http://bn-collection.com/v/user+albums/Nokikana/Signed_IT_/
   Hannu kysyi Oiva näistä IT allekirjoitukset, ja hän ei muistanut, tai tietää niistä. Mutta näyttää siltä, että nämä linnut olivat vientiä varten, ja Yhdysvaltoihin. Että ne myyvät lentoyhtiöt ja lentoasemat sekä AMEX on uutta tietoa minulle. Kiitos! Nyt yritän minun Suomi - 

[Do you know the meaning of IT?]

   Some Toikka birds are signed with an engraved IT or IT. - which is not the II denoting a 2nd class bird. They are fully signed birds - "O. Toikka Nuutajarvi", with IT below and to the right. Some of the birds are "special" items, while others are examples of catalog birds. All are solid glass, except one. All have the iittala " i " over "Made in Finland" type of label, except one which has no label (probably lost).

   There are at least two different "hands" signing (engraving) these birds. Below are 6 birds in my collection signed with "IT" or "IT."

Name                                   Label                        Solid / Hollow Special/Catalog

Snow Goose            iittala  "i - Made in Finland" label         Solid         Catalog
   (Lummihanni)
Green Snow Bunting    No label – absent                          Solid         Catalog
   (Vihrea Pulmu)
Red Whip-poor-will     iittala  "i - Made in Finland" label       Solid         Special
   Rautarukki USA
Silver-Grey Penguin   iittala  "i - Made in Finland"  label       Solid         Special
   (Pingvini)
Lilac (Pink) Penguin   iittala  "i - Made in Finland"  label       Solid         Special
   (Pingvini)
Baby Crow               iittala  "i - Made in Finland"  label       Hollow       Catalog?
   (Variksenpoika)

   Do you know the meaning of IT?
   Do you have any other birds signed with an "IT" or "IT."?

If so, please reply.

A general question to the entire forum - can you help me, and us?
   I posted a collection of pictures of the labels used by the various companies that have sold Toikka birds. You may view them on my "Album" under "Nokikana". Bob and I are trying to determine the years that each style of label was used. Can you help us?
   If so, please post your information here under this "Topic". Please tell us the style of label, the name of the bird it is on, and the year (or years) the bird was made. We are especially interested in birds that were made for only one year, a special anniversary or event, or annually. We are primarily interested in the "Nuutajarvi - Made in Finland", "Nuutajarvi - Wartsila - Finland", and the ARABIA labels at this time.
   When completed the collection will be moved to the General Gallery, to assist people trying to date the birds in their collection.
Thank you - Kiitos! 
 - Nokikana

Hi everyone -
   I would like to ask the forum for their collective knowledge about the Jänkätirri & Kulorastas. Both birds were made from 2000-2001 for iittala mail order service / online sales - according to "Birds by Toikka". I have encountered only one Kulorastus (listed on eBay), and have not seen a Jänkätirri offered anywhere, over the past 16 months.
   Does anyone know how many of these birds were made? Why are they so uncommon, and so rarely listed at auction?  And of course, if you want to sell me yours....I'm all ears! 
Thanks!