Alvar Aalto, Birch Serving Trolley, Model 98/901, Designed 1935, Finmar Label
About the Item
- Creator:Finmar (Retailer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 56 in (142.24 cm)Width: 90 in (228.6 cm)Depth: 46 in (116.84 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1935
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Wargrave, GB
- Reference Number:
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: Wargrave, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto model 611 stacking chair by Finmar, fabric attributed to Aino AaltoBy Aino Aalto, Finmar, Alvar AaltoLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireModel 611 birch stacking chair, designed in 1929 by Alvar Aalto and made by Finmar, Finland. This is an extremely rare variant with original red fabric, the...Category
Vintage 1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch
- Alvar Aalto, Birch Plywood Cantilever Chair, Model 31, Huonekalu-ja, FinlandBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireAlvar Aalto model 31 chair of moulded birch plywood, cantilevered one-piece seat and back suspended from bent supports painted black. Designed in the 1930s and produced by Huonekalu...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto Floor Lamp, Model A811, Valaistustyö, Finland 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireAlvar Aalto model A811 floor lamp, produced by Valaistustyö, Finland 1950s. This original floor lamp has a white painted metal louvred shade on a brass neck extending into a leather...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Rare early Alvar Aalto 'Double Angel Wing' Floor Lamp, model A810, ValaistustyoBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireThis is rare early Double Angel Wing floor lamp was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1959 and produced by Valaistystyo Ky, Helsinki, who were the first manufacturers of the lamp. The icon...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Alvar Aalto, Floor Lamp, model A808, Valaistustyö, Finland, 1950s, brass/leatherBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireEarly floor lamp, model A808, designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured by Valaistustyö, Finland 1950s. The layered brass shade with internal white enamelled metal diffuser and pul...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Alvar Aalto A703 "Visor" Lamp for Valaistustyo, Stamped by Maker, 1957By Alvar AaltoLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireAlvar Aalto table / desk light designed 1957 for Valaistustyo, Finland. Enameled steel black base and shade with contrasting white visor. Goose neck arm for shade orientation. Sta...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- original 1930's Alvar Aalto tea trolley 98, Artek, Finland, Finmar ltd labelBy Finmar, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBAlvar Aalto, an original 1930's modernist birch tea trolley model 98, manufactured by Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab for Artek and distributed by Finmar ltd...Category
20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsPlywood
- Alvar Aalto Serving Trolley 901 by ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FL901 Serving Trolley by Alvar Aalto. Authentic, stamp on bottom. 90s. Birchwood frame and linoleum covered trays. 35w 20d 20hCategory
1990s Finnish Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsLaminate, Wood
- Serving trolley 901 by Alvar Aalto, Artek FinlandBy Artek, Aino AaltoLocated in Argelato, BOAlvar Aalto's 901 trolley is one of the icons of Finnish modern design, presented for the first time at the Milan Triennale in 1936. The bar or tea trolley features a birch wood frame and white linoleum-covered trays. Soberly elegant, the Aalto trolley...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsRubber, Birch
- Alvar Aalto Tea Trolley 901 in whiteBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe Tea Trolley 901 was originally designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1936. It was the simplest of his tea trolley designs, combining British tea culture with Japanese architecture...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWood, Bentwood
- Tea Trolley Model 901 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland 1990sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Greding, DEBeech tea trolley with white disc wheels and black shelves.Category
1990s Finnish Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWood
- Aalto Tea Trolley Model 901 for Artek, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIAalto Tea Trolley Model 901 for Artek, circa 1950s. Model created in the 1930s. White linoleum top with birch frame and white lacquered wood wheels with rubber rings...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsRubber, Birch
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.