Pair of Cocktail Tables by Alvar Aalto
View Similar Items
Pair of Cocktail Tables by Alvar Aalto
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 31 in (78.74 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:ca. 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hadley, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU99971175326
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.
- Early Alvar Aalto Finsven Inc. Occasional TableBy Alvar Aalto, FinsvenLocated in Bainbridge, NYEarly Alvar Aalto for Finsven Inc. Side Table, End Table, Coffee Table, Circa 1940. Featuring a rectangular form, newly relacquered Black surface, multi layered Birch bentwood legs, ...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsEnamel
- Alvar Aalto Table by ArtekBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Highland, INThis terrific vintage Aalto table is entirely original and has a wonderful patina from age and use. Acquired directly from its original owner, it has great provenance. 18"h X 28.25"dCategory
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Alvar Aalto Coffee TableBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAAlvar Aalto Fan Leg Coffee Table, for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. Retains warm original patina.Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch
$2,200 - Early Alvar Aalto for Finmar TableBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAEarly bentwood side table, designed by Alvar Aalto for Finmar, Finland, circa 1940s. Classic example of Danish modern design.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBeech
- Alvar Aalto End Tables or NightstandsBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of clean lined fan leg tables, designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. They are a versatile size and can be used as end or side tab...Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBeech, Birch
$2,800 / set - 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
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.