Armchair in Patinated Leather by Alvar Aalto, 1950s
View Similar Items
Armchair in Patinated Leather by Alvar Aalto, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer),Artek (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 23.63 in (60 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)Seat Height: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Lejre, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1020816504322
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.
- Midcentury Armchair in Teak and Patinated Leather, 1950sLocated in Lejre, DKDanish armchair in patinated leather and solid teak frame. Designedand made in Denmark. Great original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Ch...
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Midcentury Armchair in Patinated Leather, Danish Design, 1950sLocated in Lejre, DKDanish armchair in patinated leather and mahogany. Designed and made in Denmark, great original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Ch...
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany
- Original Midcentury Bell Pendant by Alvar Aalto, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, Louis PoulsenLocated in Lejre, DKGolden bell pendant in patinated brass designed by Alvar Aalto for Louis Poulsen in 1939. Made in Denmark. Great condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Rare Midcentury Armchair in Patinated Leather and Wenge, Danish Design, 1950sLocated in Lejre, DKDanish armchair in patinated leather and wenge. Designed and made in Denmark, great original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Ch...
MaterialsLeather, Wenge
- Armchair in Patinated Leather by Mario Bellini, 1970sBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lejre, DKGreat looking armchair in leather. Designed Mario Bellini and made by Cassina. Great original condition.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
- Armchair in Patinated Leather, Danish Design, 1940sLocated in Lejre, DKArmchair in patinated leather and mahogany. Designed and made in Denmark, great original condition.Category
Vintage 1940s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Ch...
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany
- Armchair by Alvar AaltoBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sagaponack, NYA laminated birch armchair with a black linen webbed seat and cane wrapped arms.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch
$2,600 / item - Rare Version of 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIRare model 402 armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s with wedges on the legs. Lacquered birch legs, red woolblend fabric upholstery. Good vinta...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Alvar Aalto Pair of Artek Cantilever Armchairs Model 401, 1950sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIA beautiful pair of mid-century Alvar Aalto cantilever 'spring' chairs model 401. This chair is similar to the iconic one known as Pikkupaimio (small paimio) but with a higher back a...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto Pair of Artek Cantilever Armchairs Model 402, 1950sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIA beautiful pair of mid-century Alvar Aalto cantilever 'spring' chairs model 402, also known as Pikkupaimio (small paimio) associated with the legendary Paimio Sanatorium designed by Aalto. The chairs are lightweight and can be situated practically in any room or interior, and are easily moved around due to their lightness, both in weight and in appearance. The chairs have beautiful patina and are reupholstered in black premium fabric. Both chairs are stamped "Artek Aalto design Made in Finland...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto Armchair Model 401, ArtekBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIA beautiful original Alvar Aalto armchair model 401, which was first designed in 1933. The 401 chair was part of the iconic Paimio Sanatorium that basically launched the Aalto name t...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Pair Alvar Aalto Paimio 41 Armchairs ChairsBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in New York, NYPair of Alvar Aalto "Paimio 41" armchairs / lounge chairs. The chairs are lacquered birch and bentwood.Category
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch, Bentwood
Sold$21,000
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.