As part of its design sale, PIASA auction house is offering for sale two pieces by one of the most emblematic figures of Finnish design, Paavo Tynell (1890-1973).
Paavo Tynell began his career in a Finnish metal craft company. He graduated in 1913 and continued his studies at Taideteollisuus Keskuskoulu (now the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki) where he later taught.
Together with the industrialist Gösta Serlachius (1876-1942), the sculptor Emil Wickström (1864-1942) and the artist Eric Ehrström (1881-1934), he founded his own company Oy Taito Ab which he managed for more than 35 years from 1918-1953.
From its beginnings, the company was involved in the creation of metal objects, ranging from industrial lighting to more demanding works of art such as statues, railings and silverware. It was not until the early 1930s that Oy Taito Ab specialized in lighting fixtures. After Oy Taito Ab was taken over by Idman Oy, one of his partners, Paavo Tynell began to design a large number of pieces as a freelance designer for an American lighting company.
It was at this time that he designed the lighting for the office of the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York as well as other ambitious projects such as the Parliament building in Helsinki.
Paavo Tynell (1890-1973)
Model 9224 (Horseshoe)
Table lamp
Brass and leather
Taito Oy edition
Engraved 'Taito TT Made in Finland'
Creation date: circa 1950
H54×L21 ×P20,5cm
Among the pieces offered for sale on 15 July 2020, the Model 9224 (Horseshoe), edited by Taito Oy, was made in the 1950s. The sobriety of the lines gives the brass piece a great elegancy. The vertical foot is covered with leather. Its estimate was established between 8,000 and 12,000 euros.
Because he thought his work was at the confluence of several disciplines, the designer collaborated with architects such as Alvar Aalto, another icon of Finnish modernity.
