MANHOLE COVER COASTERS HELSINKI
MANHOLE COVER COASTERS HELSINKI
Stadi, as the locals call Helsinki, is a city that has been traded between the Swedes and the Russians for centuries. The Soviets tried one last time in WWII, facing Simo Häyhä, the white death as the Sniper was called. Finland lost some crucial eastern territory including Viipuri where Aalto’s seminal library languished for years. Aalto’s work shines in the capital where these covers grace the adjacent streets. The 450 anniversary cover relates to the founding of the city by Swedish King Gustav I. A very decorative vernacular diagram sits at the center of the cover from Aguss. A nod to the city’s nickname appears on the periphery. Helsingin Seudun is a radially designed cover that has the word Kippis meaning cheers at the top. Lastly, a cover from Niemisen Valimo features cobblestone around a silhouette of a foundry worker with dates that match the foundry’s foundation and year of production.
Make a stand by adding a display stand
Tombino replicates manhole covers from around the world into functional art in the form of coasters, trivets and magnets. Each illustration is initially hand-drawn for precision and then permanently etched into cork. These make the perfect birthday or holiday gift. Each coaster is .25" thick and 4" in diameter. The engraving method has incredible detail and tactility. Fabricated from sustainable Portuguese cork. Designed and packaged in Philadelphia, PA USA.
Cork is a natural material, thus rare aberrations within the etching can occur, but at this scale good luck noticing.
As each one is made to order please allow three business days for delivery.
“We all have three cities: the one in which we grew up, the one where we live and the one in which we wished we live."-Alan Furst
A custom display rack can be ordered too. See the individual trivets and magnets as well.
