Alvar Aalto Shelves Model 112B in Birch, Artek, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Design:Wall Shelf 112BWall Shelf 112
- Dimensions:Height: 9.85 in (25 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 11.03 in (28 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Very good original condition.
- Seller Location:Odense, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3793139681552
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, 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 with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio 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 the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an 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 Aino, 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: Kerteminde, Denmark
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto 7 Vintage L-Leg Stools Model 60 in Birch, 1970s Artek, FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Odense, DKSet of 7 beautifully patinated L-leg stools by Alvar Aalto in laminated birch. Bought in Denmark in the 1970s at Paustian. Alvar Aalto’s Three-legged stool model 60 designed in 1934...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsBirch
- Set of 4 Vintage Alvar Aalto Model 66 Chairs by Artek in Laminated Birch, 1960sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Odense, DKSet of vintage production model 66 chair by Alvar Aalto made in the 1960s. The chairs are made of laminated birch and black linoleum and have a beautiful glow and patina. Beautifully...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Hans J. Wegner Pair of Large Wall Shelves in Oak Ry Mobler, Denmark, 1950sBy Ry Møbler, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Odense, DKPair of Hans J. Wegner oak wall shelves made at Ry Mobler in Denmark in the 1950s. Rare large and early models.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsOak
- Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Umbrella Stand Model no. 115 Birch & Brass 1940sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Odense, DKRare early Umbrella stand model no. 115 designed by Alvar Aalto in 1936. This example was manufactured in the 1940s. This umbrella stand brings together birch and brass in a structur...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto Armchair with Special Height, Artek, "Enso-Gutzeit", 1962By Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Odense, DKA very rare Alvar Aalto armchair made for the Enso-Gutzeit ("Stora Enso") Headquarters in 1962. Birch, green fabric and leather. Great original condition with age related wear. Stamp...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Hans J. Wegner Large Wall Shelf in Patinated Oak Made at Ry Mobler Denmark 1950sBy Hans J. Wegner, Ry MøblerLocated in Odense, DKRare wall shelf made at Ry Mobler in Denmark in the 1950s. The shelf was designed by Hans J. Wegner and is made from solid Danish oak.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsOak
- Wall Shelves Model 112B-2, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas AbBy Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FISet of two wall shelves model 112B-2 designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930s. Birch. Good vintage condition, beautiful patina consistent...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount ShelfBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Countryside, ILAlvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf This shelf measures: 35.5 wide x 10.75 deep x 9.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call ...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - PairBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Countryside, ILAlvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - Pair Each shelf measures: 35.5 wide x 10.75 deep x 9.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what w...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - PairBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Countryside, ILAlvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - Pair Each shelf measures: 35.5 wide x 10.75 deep x 9.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what w...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - PairBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Countryside, ILAlvar Aalto Model 112b Mid Century Finnish Birch Wall Mount Shelf - Pair Each shelf measures: 35.5 wide x 10.75 deep x 9.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what w...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Rare Set of 4 Alvar Aalto Wall Shelves Model 112 with Pegs, 1930s.By Alvar Aalto, Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas OyLocated in Helsinki, FIA beautiful set of 4 Alvar Aalto wall shelves model 112. These shelves with the pegs are much rarer than the normal ones, not to mention a set...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
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.