Every week, Amber Bravo chooses one thing to totally obsess over on eBay. This week she nerds out on the brothers Sarpaneva.
I was first introduced to Timo Sarpaneva because he designed a very lovely cast iron pot (and some really nice glassware alongside his bros Tapio and Kaj) that I've always wanted but never justified spending the $250+ for. Occasionally, I'll browse eBay to see if anyone's selling one, but unsurprisingly, they've got a high retention rate. Timo's brother, Pentii, is also a designer, albeit lesser-known. Pentii's designs are very reminiscent of his brother's and the family's roots as craftspeople. There's very little information on Pentii on the internet, but occasionally you can find his jewelry on eBay, or on the types of jewelry sites/stores that cater to middle-aged women who probably do pottery and wear loose fitting printed pants. Good thing that's a thing now! Pentii's designs also feel pretty fresh, like a precursor to some pretty contemporary themes kicking around in the jewelry scene today, like All For The Mountain or even some of Erin Considine or Wendy Nichol’s metal work. In other words, if you score one of Pentii's not-too-expensive vintage designs on eBay, you're going to get a lot of, "where did you get that?!"