Set of 2 First Edition Alvar Aalto 402 Chairs for Finmar, 1930s
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer),Finmar (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1930
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The original upholstery heavy signs of use. Also the innerpart of the seating and back heavy used. Structure is good.
- Seller Location:amstelveen, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5790227076762
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and in his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed in 1930 as part of his overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under at the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with his wife, Aino Aalto, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: amstelveen, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Soft Pink Big Easy Lounge Chair by Ron Arad for MorosoBy Moroso, Ron AradLocated in amstelveen, NLRon Arad's big easy collection began as a steel chair designed in 1988 and has since been translated into other forms by reinterpreting the materials and production processes. This f...Category
Vintage 1980s European Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool
- French Rustic Pair of Low Chairs in Elm Wood and Straw, 1960sBy Charlotte PerriandLocated in amstelveen, NLSet of 2 chairs, elmwood, straw, France, 1960s. These beautifully constructed farmer chairs have a rustic character with great quality of elegance. The seat and back are covered wit...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Elm
- Pair of '4801' chairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960sBy Kartell, Joe ColomboLocated in amstelveen, NL"interlocking" lounge chairs designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, 1960s Joe Colombo''s iconic 4801 armchair is designed in 1963-1964. A modern chair with a striking visual ap...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Set of 2 Fiberglass Pod Lounge Chairs by Mario Sabot, 1960sBy Mario SabotLocated in amstelveen, NLPostmodern pair of lounge chairs by Italian designer Mario Sabot. The design is inspired by the GT series of Ferrari in the 1960s. The cutouts are shaped after the grill and wheel ar...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Fiberglass
- Set of 2 Faux Bamboo with Japanese style fabric Club Chairs, France, 1960sLocated in amstelveen, NLSet of 2 Hollywood Regency Style red Faux Bamboo club chairs with high-quality oriental fabric from the 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s European Hollywood Regency Club Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Faux Bamboo
- Set of 2 De Sede Ds-31 Swivel Lounge Chairs in Light Brown Leather, 1970sBy De SedeLocated in amstelveen, NLDe Sede, pair of lounge chairs model ''DS-31'', leather, chrome-plated metal, Switzerland, 1970s A comfortable sitting experience is guaranteed by means of the deep seat and curve...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Alvar Aalto, Pair of Armchairs Model 402 for Finmar, 1930'sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBWith bent beechwood sculptural frame and cantilevered wooden design, these chairs are a classic Aalto, encapsulating the beauty of mid-Century modernism. They armchairs have been n...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Art Deco Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Early Alvar Aalto 'Hallway' Chair 'Model 403' for FinmarBy Alvar Aalto, FinmarLocated in Los Angeles, CAFinmar Model 403 'Hallway' chairs designed by Alvar Aalto and produced from 1930 through 1950 in Finland. The chair features a honey toned birch wood with bent plywood seat and backr...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, Model No.403, Finmar 1930'sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBAn early and exceptionally rare Alvar Aalto Hallway chair, which was originally designed for the Paimio Sanitorium. Bent ply seating rests on...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- 1930s Alvar Aalto for Finmar Artek Finland Design E60 Stool First EditionBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Brescia, ITSolid bent birch First edition 1934 Original 1930s, no restoration Very good vintage condition Alvar Aalto’s four-legged Stool E60 is the most elemental of furniture pieces, ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsBirch
- Early Model 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Made in Finland, 1930sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Detroit, MIThe Model 402 lounge chair or ‘Atelje’ chair was designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1933 for and is considered a masterpiece of modernist furniture design. The Classic, well-balance...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch, Bentwood
- Rare, Early Alvar Aalto Model 31/42 Cantilevered Armchairs, Finland, 1930sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBRare, early Alvar Aalto model 31/42 cantilevered armchairs, Finland, 1930s, designed and produced in the 1930s. Painted birch-veneered bent plywoo...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Very Modern Love Story of Mid-Century Design Duo Alvar and Aino Aalto
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.