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20th Century Alvar Aalto Tea Trolley model 901 for Artek in Birch Wood and Red

About the Item

Recognised today as one of the great masters of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was born in Kuortane, Finland. During a long and prolific career, Aalto designed buildings for almost all key public institutions, as well as standardised housing and private homes. Aalto’s architecture is distinctively Finnish, strongly individual, and marked by a warm humanity. His buildings derive their aesthetic character from their dynamic relationship with their natural surroundings, their human scale, superbly executed details, unique treatment of materials, and ingenious use of lighting. The tea trolley was inspired by British tea culture, which Aino and Alvar Aalto had become acquainted with though their many travels, as well as by the Japanese woodwork and architecture they admired. With a frame composed of two birch lamella loops, Tea Trolley 901 features two shelves and a solid birch handle. Twin wheels, in combination with the lightweight quality of birch, mean the trolley can be easily maneuvered and parked at will. Over the years, numerous variations of the Tea Trolley have been produced. Details in red colored laminated. Edition of 2004, presence Manufacturer's tag as shown in photo. Good condition, fully original. Published in: - P. Tuukkanen, Alvar Aalto Designer, Alvar Aalto Museum, Vammala, 2002, similar model reproduced p.174 - S. Dachs, Alvar Aalto, objets et mobilier, Ed. Le Moniteur, 2008, similar model reproduced p.66 - T. Kellein, Alvar & Aino Aalto : Collection Bischofsberger, Ed. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, OstildernRuit, 2005, similar model reproduced p.106

Creator:
Artek (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Author)
Design:
Tea Cart 900
Dimensions:
Height: 22.05 in (56 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Birch,Laminate
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
about 1960
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Turin, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5450230896402
View Invoice

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.