Alvar Aalto Tea Trolley Model 901 in White and Birch for Artek, 1960s

Alvar Aalto first introduced this model 901 cart in the 1930s. It is the simplest of his cart series. Inspirations of the British tee culture as well as Japanese wood works is evident in this piece. This simple yet elegant cart is easy to move and is of course suitable for coffee or tee events. It can also add elegance and a simple design touch to any interior and is often used as a coffee table with the additional shelf to keep magazines and books at hand length. It’s made from Finnish birch and the top is in white laminate, both of which have a beautiful patina consistent with the age of this piece.

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is a world famous architect and designer. He was well known for designing his own line of furniture and lighting for the numerous buildings that he designed worldwide. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles, glassware, sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, seeing painting and sculpture as branches of a tree that stem from architecture.

Aalto’s career from the 1920s-1970s is reflected in the styles of his work, ranging from Classicism to Modernism and to an organic style from the 1940s onwards. Aalto and his wife Aino were famous for not only designing the buildings, but the interior surfaces, furniture, lamps and even the glassware for those buildings. Aalto’s furniture designs are Scandinavian Modernism at its best, especially his technical innovations on the bent plywood furniture, which in turn had a great impact on Mid-Century Modernist furniture.

Aalto’s works are highly sought after and some fetch record prices in auctions and the design world. Of course his works are also widely collected and can be found in numerous private collections and famous museums.