Artek Armchair 406 by Alvar Aalto for Artek
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.25 in (87 cm)Width: 23.5 in (59.69 cm)Depth: 28.25 in (71.76 cm)Seat Height: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1980
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Centreville, VA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8365237490402
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: Centreville, VA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vintage Aalto H-legged Table (Table 81B) by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VAH-legged Table (Table 81B) with blue linoleum top (Blue linoleum top is no longer in production) The last of Alvar Aalto’s inventions to be adopted by the furniture industry was th...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Vintage Aalto Table rectangular (Table 81B) by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VATable 81B with red linoleum top (Red linoleum top is no longer in production) The Aalto Table rectangular is a perfect solution for numerous spaces, from a small kitchen to large di...Category
Vintage 1930s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Vintage Aalto Table Round (Table 91) by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VAThe Aalto Table conveys a relaxed familiarity that resists categorisation. With legs and edge-bands of Finnish birch, it radiates natural beauty and warmth, moving easily between p...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBentwood
- Vintage Aalto Table rectangular (Table 80A) by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VATable 80A with red linoleum top (Red linoleum top is no longer in production) The Aalto Table rectangular is a perfect solution for numerous spaces, from a small kitchen to large di...Category
Vintage 1930s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Chair 65 by Alvar Aalto for Artek (White laminate)By Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VAClean lines and a simple structure define the design of Chair 65. A low, rectangular backrest is formed from a single piece of birch plywood and has a slight curve that forms natur...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Wall Light A910 by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VAThis timeless and elegant design is popular in both public buildings and private homes. With structural echoes of Alvar Aalto’s other lighting designs, its shade consists of thin m...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsSteel
- Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Tilburg, NLAlvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. As voluminous as it is comfortable, Armchair 400 was created by Alva...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Leather, Fabric
- Alvar Aalto Pair of ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Tilburg, NLAlvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. Please note: the price is for 2 chairs with Kvadat Tonus...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Alvar Aalto 40s 406 ChairBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JP40s 406 chari.upholstery by jute webbing. early production.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Alvar Aalto set of Armchairs for Artek, circa 1960By Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Esbjerg, DKLounge chairs designed by Alvar Aalto manufactured, circa 1960. Curved birch plywood and braided vegetable fiber.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Rare Version of 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated 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
- 1960 Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair Model 406 by Artek in Birch and Cane WebbingBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Chicago, ILAlvar Aalto, cantilevered chair model 406. Laminated birch, cane. circa 1960 The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39. 35"H x 24"W x 27...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCane, Birch
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.