Alvar Aalto Set of Four Architectural Door Handles, Finland, Circa 1960
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Set of Four Architectural Door Handles, Finland, Circa 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.19 in (3 cm)Width: 5.12 in (13 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:La Teste De Buch, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: IMBODA3011stDibs: LU2757323590642
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.
- Set of Four Blown Art Glass Vases by Iittala, Finland, 1959By Tapio Wirkkala, IittalaLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRSet of four blown art glass vases by Karhula-Iittala. Löytö serie. Designed and made in Finland in 1959. Heights: 17.5 cm, 14 cm, 8.5 cm and 8 cm Literature: Iittala catalogues...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsArt Glass, Blown Glass
- Lisa Johansson-Pape & Orno Set of Two Pendant Lights, Finland, 1960sBy Orno Oy, Lisa Johansson-PapeLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRSet of 2 minimalist pendant lamps by Lisa Johansson-Pape Model 61-308 Black and white lacquered metal, chromed metal Made by Ornö Finland in the 1960s One lamp has its original ...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Three Decorative Wood Dishes, FinlandBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRSet of three decorative wood dishes by designer Martti Hyppanen. Made in Finland. Two dishes in sculpted solid wood, one dish in sculpted plywood. Marked accordingly. Mea...Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsWood
- Paavo Tynell & Idman Set of Two Copper & Opaline Glass Wall Lamps, Finland 1950sBy Idman Oy, Paavo TynellLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRSet of 2 wall lamp by Paavo Tynell, edited by Idman. Model 7309. Copper and opaline glass. Made in Finland in the 1950s. Both are marked Idman. Great patina to the copper. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsCopper
- Viljo Hirvonen & Valaistustyö Adjustable Floor Lamp, Leather & Brass, 1960sBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRAdjustable floor lamp designed by Viljo Hirvonen. Model H801 The arm can be adjusted up and down on the stem and orientated in all directions. Off wh...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Wall lamp in Lacquered Metal by ITSU Finland, 1950sBy ItsuLocated in La Teste De Buch, FRMid century modern wall light by Itsu. Made in Finland in the 1950s. Model AH85. White and dark blue/gray lacquered metal. Marked accor...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Six Door Handles by Alvar Aalto, 1960sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FISet of six door handles by Alvar Aalto from the 1960s. Painted aluminum. Good vintage condition, heavy patina consistent with age and use. The door handles are sold as a set. Alvar...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsAluminum
$3,734 / set - Alvar Aalto Sculptural Aluminium Door HandlesBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, FISculptural Door Handles designed by Alvar Aaltos. Made in Finland. Material: Alumininum Includes two handles and spacer. No connecting screws / rose screws.Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Set of Four American Deco Store Door HandlesLocated in Los Angeles, CARare set of four American store door handles for double doors. Set of aluminum handles includes a right outside, a right inside, a left outside, and a left ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Architectural Elements
$8,500 / set - Rare and Early Bronze Alvar Aalto Door Handle, Taito Oy, Finland 1920sBy Alvar Aalto, Taito OyLocated in Copenhagen, DKAlvar Aalto & Taito Oy - Scandinavian Model A very rare door handle in solid bronze, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1920s. The door handle is known as Model 1 and manufactured ...Category
Early 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Doors and Gates
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of Architectural Aerodynamic Aluminium Push Pull Door HandlesLocated in London, GBPair of Mid Century Modern aluminum cast push and pull door handles shaped like wings. They will work inside or outside any contemporary building today. They can be used on furnitur...Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsAluminum
- Finnish Copper and Pine Door Handles, 1930sLocated in Helsinki, FIFinnish copper and pine door handles from the 1930s. Reminiscent of Alvar Aalto's design. Good vintage condition, patina and wear consistent with age and use. The handles are sold as...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsCopper
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.