Aalto Tea Trolley Model 901 for Artek, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Artek (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 22.05 in (56 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Good original condition.
- Seller Location:Helsinki, FI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7495232606562
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: Helsinki, Finland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto Model "E, A" Tablecloth, Artek, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIModel "E, A" tablecloth designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Artek, 1950s. Fabric. Good vintage condition, minor patina consistent with age and use. Marked. Alvar Aalto (1898-1...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Curtains and Valances
MaterialsFabric
- Stool model 60, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIStool model 60 by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s. Lacquered birch and linoleum top. Good vintage condition, rich patina and wear consistent with age and use. Iconic Alvar Aalto...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsBirch
- Rare stool model 60, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIStool model 60 by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s. Birch with rare color imitation leather. Good vintage condition, patina and wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful honey ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsFaux Leather, Birch
- Rare Stool Model 60, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIStool model 60 by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s. Birch with rare color imitation leather. Good vintage condition, patina and wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful honey ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsFaux Leather, Birch
- Model 60 Stools, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950s/1960sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThree model 60 stools by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s/1960s. Birch and imitation leather. Good vintage condition, minor patina and wear consistent with age and use. Iconic Al...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsFaux Leather, Birch
- Set of Two Model 60 Stools, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FISet of two model 60 stools by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s. Birch with imitation leather. Good vintage condition, patina and wear consistent with age and use. Iconic Alvar Aa...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsFaux Leather, Birch
- Mid-Century Tea Cart Model 901 Trolley by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Vorst, BETea Cart or Trolley model 901 designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto for Artek. Made in Finland. Manufactured probably in the 1950s. Birch frame, contrasting shelving with black linoleum, ...Category
Late 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Tea Trolley Model 901 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland 1990sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Greding, DEBeech tea trolley with white disc wheels and black shelves.Category
1990s Finnish Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWood
- 1950s Alvar and Aino Aalto for Artek Tea Trolley 901 in Birch with Ceramic TileBy Artek, Alvar Aalto, Aino AaltoLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an original ‘Tea Trolley 901’ Serving Cart, designed in 1936 by Aino and Alvar Aalto for Artek. The piece was manufactured in Finland circa 1950s. The strong frame is made fr...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBirch, Rubber
- Alvar Aalto Model 901 Tea Trolley, 1950sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Los Angeles, CAwonderful Model 901 tea trolley designed 1930 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, white linoleum top with bentwood birch frame and white lacquered wood wheels with rubber rings. Good original ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBirch, Rubber
- Alvar Aalto Tea Trolley / Bar Cart Model 900 for Artek. Birch and Rattan.By Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Kansas City, MOAlvar Aalto iconic Tea Cart 900 produced by Artek. This example is in very good condition with few signs of use. Birch wood frame and rattan basket. Great mid century design. Fun...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsRattan, Birch
- Serving trolley 901 by Alvar Aalto, Artek FinlandBy Artek, Aino AaltoLocated in Argelato, BOAlvar Aalto's 901 trolley is one of the icons of Finnish modern design, presented for the first time at the Milan Triennale in 1936. The bar or tea trolley features a birch wood frame and white linoleum-covered trays. Soberly elegant, the Aalto trolley...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsRubber, 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.