Alvar Aalto Early Floor Lamp Model A 808 by Valaistustyö in Finland
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 66.93 in (170 cm)Width: 11.82 in (30 cm)Depth: 14.18 in (36 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.
- Seller Location:Limhamn, SE
- 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: Malmö, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto Angel Wing Floor Lamp by Valaistustyö in FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and 1st production angel wing floor lamp model A805 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Valaistustyö in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto Angel Wing Floor Lamp Model A805 by Valaistustyö in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and 1st production angel wing floor lamp model A805 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Valaistustyö in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsLeather, Lacquer
- Alvar Aalto Angel Wing Floor Lamp Model A805 by Valaistustyö in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and first production angel wing floor lamp model A805 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Valaistustyö in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Alvar Aalto Beehive Lamp Model No. A332 Produced by Valaistustyö in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länVery rare Beehive lamp model no. A332 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Valaistustyö in Finland. Measure: Height: 35 (80) cm.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Alvar Aalto Room Divider Model 100 Produced by Artek in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRoom divider model 100 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Artek in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsPine
- Alvar Aalto Wall Shelf Produced by Artek in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare wall shelf designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Artek in Finland.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto, 1950's floor lamp A808, Valaistustyö, FinlandBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the Alvar Aalto circa 1950's floor lamp A808, a timeless piece of vintage design manufactured by Valaistustyö in Finland. The iconic finish design by Alvar Aalto is sure ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- 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 A808 floorlamp Valaistustyö Ky Finland 1955By Alvar AaltoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantSuper rare and unique early 70s production of the A808 floor lamp designed by Alvar Aalto an manufactured by Valaistustyö Ky, Finland 1955. In completely original condition with unpo...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto Floor Lamp, Model A811, Valaistustyö, Finland 1950sBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated 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
- Alvar Aalto Model A808 Brass Floor LampBy Alvar Aalto, Valaisinpaja OyLocated in Madrid, ESThe A808 lamp was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1955 for the National Pensions Institute of Helsinki. This floor lamp has been manufactured by Valaisinpaja Oy, Finland in circa 1970s. T...Category
20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Alvar Aalto Floor Lamp Model A811, ValaistustyöBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThis iconic floor lamp designed by Alvar Aalto comes with a leather stem, brass details and a white metal nest on the top. The brilliance of this lamp comes from the simplicity and t...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
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.