Early Shelf in Birch by Alvar Aalto for Aalto Möbler, Hedemora, Sweden
View Similar Items
Early Shelf in Birch by Alvar Aalto for Aalto Möbler, Hedemora, Sweden
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer, Maker)
- Design:Wall Shelf 112BWall Shelf 112
- Dimensions:Height: 33.47 in (85 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 10.24 in (26 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Goteborg, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3842124731472
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.
- Bookshelf in birch by Alvar AaltoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Goteborg, SEAfter launching his career in Finland during the early modernist period in the 1930's, the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in the forties started a production of his furniture in Swede...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsBirch
- Valet in Teak and Leather by Adam Hoff and Poul Østergaard, DenmarkBy Virum Møbelsnedkeri, Adam Hoff & Poul ØstergaardLocated in Goteborg, SEThe classic Wall-mounted Valet in teak and leather by Adam Hoff and Poul Østergaard. Made by Virum Møbelsnedkeri, Denmark. This piece carries your suit during the night.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Coffee Table in Rosewood by Johannes Andersen for Trensum, SwedenBy Johannes AndersenLocated in Goteborg, SECoffee table in bent shape. Made in rosewood by Trensum, Sweden. The table was designed by the Danish architect Johannes Andersen.Category
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsRosewood
- "Visingsö" Bench in Pine by Carl Malmsten for Svensk Fur, SwedenBy Carl Malmsten, Svensk FurLocated in Goteborg, SEThis small bench was designed by one of the real giants in Nordic design, Carl Malmsten. The bench is rustic, but elegant. It is made in solid pinewood, a material you not often see ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsPine
- Bench in Solid Oak, Tokyo, by Yngvar Sandström for NK, SwedenBy NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Yngvar SandströmLocated in Goteborg, SETokyo, a bench in massive oak for sitting or for using as a table. Made by NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), the leading warehouse in Stockholm. Designed by Yngvar Sandström and part of a se...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsOak
- Vase in Stoneware Designed by Stig Lindberg for Gustavsbergs Studio, SwedenBy Stig Lindberg, GustavsbergLocated in Goteborg, SEVase in stoneware designed by Stig Lindberg at Gustavsbergs Studio, Sweden. This piece was made in 1970. The darker glaze is typical for Lindberg work in the late sixties and the be...Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vases
MaterialsStoneware
- Alvar Aalto, early birch coat rackBy Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the timeless design of the Alvar Aalto early birch coat rack, a true vintage gem for any home. This original piece showcases Aalto's iconic use of bentwood and natural ma...Category
Early 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBirch
- 1960s Bentwood Drawing Rack by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn uncommon birch bentwood drawing rack with four pairs of hooks.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBirch
- Original Midcentury Alvar Aalto Coat Rack / Shelf Stora Enso Building, FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration is this original coat rack with shelf designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek circa 1960 featuring birch wood, metal coat hooks and early nickel plated steel hanger ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
- Original Midcentury Alvar Aalto Coat Rack / Shelf Stora Enso Building FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration is this original coat rack with shelf designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek circa 1960 featuring birch wood, metal coat hooks and early nickel plated steel hanger ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
- Alvar Aalto, Umbrella Stand, Artek, FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Paris, FRAlvar Aalto (1898-1976) Umbrella stand A birch and brass umbrella stand with a three-sided base issuing three columns joined by a conforming rim. Produced by Artek, Finland. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Umbrella Stand, Artek 1970sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIUmbrella stand designed by the one and only Alvar Aalto and manufactured in the late 70s by Artek. Alvar Aalto was known for being the driving force in Scandinavian modern design, wh...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsBrass
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.