Alvar Aalto “Angel Wing” Floor Lamp for Valaistustyö Ky, Finland 1954

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Alvar Aalto “Angel Wing” Floor Lamp for Valaistustyö Ky, Finland 1954

About the Item

Originally designed by Alvar Aalto for the National Pensions Institute in Helsinki in 1954, the A805 model, better known as the “Angel Wing” floor lamp, is a true modern icon. The A805's asymmetrical louvered shade is reminiscent of wings, which is why it became commonly known as the “Angel Wing” floor lamp. The cascading shade is even more emphasized when the lamp is lit. The hand-riveted shade is formed from lacquered, thin metal strips, diffusing the light evenly, both upwards and through its white painted strips. The white painted shade is contrasted by the polished brass collar and the black leather-wrapped stand which was hand-sewn in Finland. Founded in 1952 in Helsinki, Valaistustyö Ky has been the main manufacturer of luminaires designed by Alvar Aalto since its establishment. The stem of the lamp is engraved with the mark: Valaistustyö A805, which shows that this is on older version of the lamp and not a later reproduction by Artek. Condition: In vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The shade has its original paint with some small retouches, some small stains. Leather and brass have minor wear. Dimensions: 20.48 in W x 13.78 in D x 67.72 in H 52 cm W x 35 cm D x 172 cm H Literature: Alvar & Aino Aalto Design, Collection Bischofsberger, Kellein, Hatje Cantz, 2005, p. 186 and 187 About the designer: Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, (1898, Kuortane, Fin., Russian Empire - 1976, Helsinki, Fin.) was a Finnish architect, city planner, and furniture designer. Aalto achieved an international reputation as a furniture designer and architect. Through his more than 200 buildings and projects, ranging from factories to churches, (a number of them built outside Finland), Aalto remains the most renowned Finnish architect and designer. Alvar Aalto’s architectural studies at the Technical Institute of Helsinki were disrupted by the Finnish War of Independence, in which he also participated. Ultimately, he graduated in 1921 and began working in Jyväskylä, in central Finland. In 1927 Aalto moved his studio to Turku, and in 1933 to Helsinki, where he collaborated with his wife, Aino Marsio until 1949. The first experiments with furniture date from the early 1930s, when he took charge of the interior of the Paimio Sanatorium. At the time, Aalto’s furniture was known for its use of laminated wood and original, structural forms. In 1935 the Artek Company was established by Aalto and Maire Gullichsen, the wife of the industrialist and art collector Harry Gullichsen, to manufacture and market his furniture. His distinctive style is a blend of modernist refinement and indigenous materials, which eventually earned him world-wide recognition. Throughout his long career, Alvar Aalto received several prizes and honours. He was a member of the Academy of Finland (Suomen Aketemia) and was its president from 1963 to 1968 as well as a member of the Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne from 1928 to 1956. In 1957 he received the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects (1963). Today, the Alvar Aalto Museum keeps the legacy of the designer alive. It was designed by Aalto himself, and is located in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä. ~H. Shipping: This floor lamp will be packaged and shipped with the greatest care and attention to make sure you will receive the item in gallery condition. Complimentary shipping within the Netherlands.

Creator:
Valaistustyö (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 67.72 in (172 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52 cm)Depth: 13.78 in (35 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Leather,Metal
Place of Origin:
Finland
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1954
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. The shade has its original paint with some small retouches, some small stains. Leather and brass have minor wear.
Seller Location:
Utrecht, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 201700511stDibs: LU2947330834772

Shop All Alvar Aalto

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.