01 THE STORY
From Sketch to Table
The line begins with Tias Eckhoff's study of proportion. In Tiki, the handle, transition and functional form are resolved as one continuous object.
02 THE DETAILS
The Details
Tiki creates a strong contrast between rectangular handles and softly rounded spoon and fork forms. The meeting of strict geometry and softer functional shapes gives the series a distinctive rhythm.
A note from Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoffs relationship with cutlery became especially important in 1962, when he designed Maya for Norstaal. The broad handle narrows into a triangular form, while rounded edges give the pieces a strong but comfortable grip. The design became one of the defining Scandinavian cutlery patterns of the twentieth century, later entering Phaidon Design Classics and museum collections including MoMA in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Eckhoff continued to explore the table through collections including Una, Chaco and Maya 2000, each revisiting proportion, balance and the relationship between strict geometry and softer curves. His work rarely depended on ornament. Character emerged instead from the way an object was refined — slowly, physically and with extraordinary attention to the smallest shifts in form.
“I work slowly, I would like to file on a piece of cutlery for a year.” — Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoff
Questions about Stelton Tiki Dessert Spoons — 12 Pieces
How long is the Stelton Tiki dessert spoon?
Each Stelton Tiki dessert spoon measures 17.5 cm according to Stelton’s product specifications. The compact proportion preserves Tiki’s distinctive meeting between rectangular geometry and softer rounded forms.
What happens to Tiki’s design when the spoon becomes smaller?
The contrast between strict and soft geometry becomes more concentrated. Tias Eckhoff’s rectangular handle language still flows into a rounded spoon bowl, allowing the smaller dessert spoon to express the same design idea as the larger pieces without simply feeling like a reduced copy.
Why is the spoon one of the clearest ways to understand Tiki?
Stelton specifically highlights the spoons and fork as pieces where Tiki’s contrast between rectangular and softly rounded shapes is especially visible. In the dessert spoon, the transition from the controlled handle to the curved bowl becomes a particularly clear expression of the collection.
Who designed Stelton Tiki?
Tiki was designed by Norwegian designer Tias Eckhoff and introduced in 1974. Eckhoff was a leading figure in Scandinavian industrial design, and Tiki reflects his ability to create a strong identity through geometry, proportion and function rather than ornament.
Why can a spoon designed in 1974 still feel contemporary?
Because Tiki’s identity is structural rather than decorative. The design is built around the tension between straight, rectangular lines and softer curves, a clear geometric idea that is not tied to a particular surface motif or fashion period.