Alvar Aalto, Early Floor Lights A808
About the Item
- Creator:Valaistustyö (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 65.75 in (167 cm)Diameter: 12.21 in (31 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Repairs works to bumps to the lamp shades. (Bumps are often seen on the shades from very early productions).
- Seller Location:Copenhagen, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU154125985693
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, 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 with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio 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 the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an 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 Aino, 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: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Rare Alvar Aalto Adjustable Wall Lamp in BrassBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in Copenhagen, DKALVAR AALTO & VALAISTUTYO - SCANDINAVIAN MODERN A rare wall light in brass by Alvar Aalto. The light is a version of the Classic Alvar Aalto Golden bell model A 3305 pendant. Origi...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Rare and Early Bronze Alvar Aalto Door Handle, Taito Oy, Finland 1920sBy Alvar Aalto, Taito OyLocated in Copenhagen, DKAlvar Aalto & Taito Oy - Scandinavian Model A very rare door handle in solid bronze, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1920s. The door handle is known as Model 1 and manufactured ...Category
Early 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Doors and Gates
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of Midcentury 'Royal' Floor Lamps by Arne JacobsenBy Arne Jacobsen, Louis PoulsenLocated in Copenhagen, DKArne Jacobsen & Louis Poulsen - Scandinavian Modern An iconic pair of the original 'Royal' floor lamps by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen. Designed for the SAS Royal Hotel Copenhagen, 1958. Produced by Louis Poulsen. These lamps are considered a collector's item from the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The design itself is very elegant and like may of Arne Jacobsens other design pieces, the simple shape has made the lamps an iconic piece of Danish design history. The SAS Royal Hotel is a historic hotel in central Copenhagen, Denmark. The entire hotel from the exterior façade through to the stainless-steel cutlery used...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Rare Brass Paavo Tynell Wall Lights for Taito Oy, Finland, 1950sBy Paavo Tynell, Taito OyLocated in Copenhagen, DKPaavo Tynell & Taito Oy - Scandinavian Modern A rare and beautiful pair of Paavo Tynell brass wall lights, Finland, 1950s. Model 94...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Early Poul Henningsen Copper Table Lamp, 1930sBy Poul Henningsen, Louis PoulsenLocated in Copenhagen, DKPoul Henningsen & Louis Poulsen, Mid-century Modern design This is the iconic Poul Henningsen (PH 4/3) table lamp with original copper shades. Stand, switch and socket house of bro...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsCopper
- Just Andersen, Early Pair of Pewter Candelabras, Denmark, 1920sBy Just AndersenLocated in Copenhagen, DKJust Andersen - Scandinavian modern. A early a pair of pewter candelabras with two arms, Dessin 1171, manufactured in Denmark between 1918-1929. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Modern Candlesticks
MaterialsPewter
- Alvar Aalto, 1950's floor lamp A808, Valaistustyö, FinlandBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the Alvar Aalto circa 1950's floor lamp A808, a timeless piece of vintage design manufactured by Valaistustyö in Finland. The iconic finish design by Alvar Aalto is sure ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto Model A808 Brass Floor LampBy Valaisinpaja Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Madrid, ESThe A808 lamp was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1955 for the National Pensions Institute of Helsinki. This floor lamp has been manufactured by Valaisinpaja Oy, Finland in circa 1970s. T...Category
20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Alvar Aalto, Floor Lamp, model A808, Valaistustyö, Finland, 1950s, brass/leatherBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireEarly floor lamp, model A808, designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured by Valaistustyö, Finland 1950s. The layered brass shade with internal white enamelled metal diffuser and pul...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Alva Aalto Floor Lamp Model A808 for Valaitustyo Ky, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Madrid, ESAn Alvar Alto floor lamp edited by Valaitustyo Ky in the early 1950s. Brass shade, white metal; black leather-covered lamp stand. Early edition. Top impressed with "Valaitustyio A 808...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto A808 floorlamp Valaistustyö Ky Finland 1955By Alvar AaltoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantSuper rare and unique early 70s production of the A808 floor lamp designed by Alvar Aalto an manufactured by Valaistustyö Ky, Finland 1955. In completely original condition with unpo...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Alvar Aalto Early Floor Lamp Model A 808 by Valaistustyö in FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länVery rare and early floor lamp model A 808 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Valaistustyö in Finland. Designed for National Pensions Institute in Helsinki.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
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.