Pink Ilmari Tapiovaara Maya The Bee Table Lamp in Pink, Hienoteräs, Asko, 1950s

A Beautiful Maya The Bee (Maija Mehiläinen) table lamp by Ilmari Tapiovaara, one of the leading interior architects and furniture designers in Finland. This series was first designed in 1955 for Asko, which was the leading furniture manufacturer in Finland. The design series had many variations including floor lamps and ceiling lamps.

Due to its slotted design the lamp adds a soft indirect light to spice up any interior without an overwhelming presence. Perfect for living rooms or large spaces. This example has been repainted with a light pink shade that’s not overwhelming and compliments the brass parts. The wiring has been renewed and the lamp is stamped by the original makers Hienoteräs.

Yrjö Ilmari Tapiovaara (1914-1999) was an internationally renowned Finnish designer best known for his furnishings and textiles. During WW2, Tapiovaara designed dugouts and field furniture for the Finnish Army, a challenging task given that only local wood could be used, and no nails or screws were available. Tapiovaara furniture was always a part of the whole, were architecture and interior design went hand in hand.
Tapiovaara worked in his early years as a designer for Asko and designed a number of classical chairs as Domus, Aslak and lights like this Maija the bee series.

Tapiovaara won a number of gold medals at the Triennals in 1951, 1954 (2 golds), 1957, and 1960. In the 1950s Tapiovaara worked internationally, for example as an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. At the same time he worked with Mies van der Rohen in Chicago.