Alvar Aalto Artek-Pascoe 1940s Desk and Chair
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Artek-Pascoe 1940s Desk and Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer),Artek-Pascoe Inc. (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 49 in (124.46 cm)Depth: 23 in (58.42 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1945
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Kalamazoo, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5573226022132
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.
- Borge Mogensen 2256 chairs and ottomanBy Fredericia Stolefabrik, Børge MogensenLocated in Kalamazoo, MIDesigned by Borge Mogensen for Fredericia Stolefabrik, this lounge chair and ottoman set showcases the simple yet bold aesthetic of one of the most sought after Danes. Purchased by t...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
$6,435 / set - Kipp Stewart Rosewood and Walnut Lounge Chair and OttomanBy Kipp Stewart, DirectionalLocated in Kalamazoo, MIThis is a beautiful and rare lounge chair and ottoman pairing designed by Kipp Stewart for Directional in 1960. Superb form and beautiful woods combine in this walnut frame chair wit...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsRosewood, Walnut
- Jean Gillion Brazilian Rosewood and Leather Tijuca Lounge ChairBy Jean Gillon, ItalmaLocated in Kalamazoo, MIDesigned by Jean Gillion for Italma of Brazil in the 1970s, this 'Tijuca'' lounge chair features a thick leather cushion supported by an intricately woven string hammock on a solid B...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Arne Vodder Danish Modern Teak and Cane Dining chair setBy Arne Vodder, SibastLocated in Kalamazoo, MIA rare set of teak framed chairs with woven cane seats and backs designed by Arne Vodder and made by Sibast of Denmark in the 1950s. This set incl...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsCane, Teak
- Kindt Larsen Teak Lounge Chairs 116 for France and SonBy Edvard Kindt-Larsen, France & SønLocated in Kalamazoo, MIThis is a pair of rare and beautiful teak lounge chairs by the Danish design duo of Tove and Edvard Kindt Larsen. These chairs, designed in the 1950s and made in Denmark, are crafted...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Danish Modern Teak Bookshelf DeskBy Arne VodderLocated in Kalamazoo, MISuperbly proportioned Danish teak desk with rear bookshelf and floating pedestals from the 1950s. This design has been attributed to designer Arne Vodder for Sibast by other sellers ...Category
Mid-20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Alvar Aalto Mahogany Desk for Artek with Drawers and Pull Out Work SurfacesBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Chicago, ILThe model #500 mahogany desk designed by Alvar Aalto, made in Sweden for Artek, Finland. Six drawers with two pull-out work surface boards. A nice example...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks
MaterialsMahogany
- Alvar Aalto 60's Beech Desk and White DrawerBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JPAlvar aalto design beachtop desk and drawer set in white paint. You can expect yellowing to amber in the future, and it has a beautiful aging feeling.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Modern Desks
MaterialsBeech, Birch
$1,600 Sale Price50% Off - Rare cabinet '808' by Alvar Aalto for AB Artek in Hedemora, Sweden, 1940sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Eskilstuna, SECabinet '808' by Alvar Aalto. Rare piece of furtniture and even more so when its produced by Aaltos factory in Hedemora, Sweden. AB Artek in Hedemora opened 1946 in order to produc...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- 1940s French Desk and Chair in Elmwood and Leather AccentsLocated in Dallas, TX1940s French desk and chair in elmwood and leather accents. The desk has two lockable drawers and one key. These drawers will need attention from a l...Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks
MaterialsElm
- Finnish Birch Cabinet in Alvar Aalto Style, 1940sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIFinnish birch cabinet in Alvar Aalto style from the 1940s. Birch. Good vintage condition, minor patina consistent with age and use. Beautiful Scandin...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBirch
- Artek Wall Shelf by Alvar Aalto, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Turku, FIArtek's wall shelf 112B is an elegant and practical shelf that can be used for books, decorative lamps or small items. Alvar Aalto designed the wall shelf 112 in 1936. This one was ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsBirch
$808 Sale Price20% Off
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.