Paavo Tynell was an industrial designer, known as the great pioneer of Finnish lighting design and fondly dubbed “the man who illuminated Finland.” Tynell was one of the founders and chief designers of Taito Oy — the first industrial producer of lamps and other lighting fixtures in Finland. With the innovation of electricity in the beginning of the 20th century, Taito Oy and Tynell expanded the thinking and manufacturing of modern lighting solutions in Europe and abroad.
Tynell rose to prominence in the 1930s and 1940s, during which he collaborated with some of the most renowned Finnish architects, Alvar Aalto being the most notable one. Working to incorporate artificial lighting into modern environments, Tynell’s company Taito Oy produced fixtures for all of Aalto’s major projects including the Paimio Sanatorium and the Viipuri Library.
Tynell was especially praised for his involvement with the Finland House, a design atelier in New York that showcased the work of Finnish designers and craftspeople. His elegant brass designs became an instant success in North America, and he began creating lighting designs for the prestigious American company Lightolier.
A master craftsman, Tynell’s designs were derivative of a traditional aesthetic with a modern sensibility, mixed with an extensive use of perforated and polished brass. Marked by delicacy and softness, his most famous forms in lighting echo the structures of nature; he adroitly created sculptural shapes reminiscent of the branches of trees, swirling snowflakes and seashells.
Find antique Paavo Tynell chandeliers and pendants, floor lamps and other lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Side Gallery)
Paavo Tynell Model “5061” Brass Table Lamp for Idman, Finland 1950s
By Paavo Tynell, Idman Oy
Located in Utrecht, NL
Paavo Tynell is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of Finnish lighting design from the twentieth century. From recognition at the Barcelona World Exhibition (1929) ...
Brass
Model "30246" Table Lamp by Erik Tidstrand for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1930s
By Nordiska Kompaniet, Erik Tidstrand
Located in Utrecht, NL
Erik Tidstrand was a Swedish designer and interior architect who first worked at Leja and KM Lundberg until they merged to form Nordiska Kompaniet. Tidstrand became the head of NK's ...
Brass
Paavo Tynell "Model 9224" Table Lamp for Idman Oy, Finland 1950s
By Paavo Tynell, Idman Oy
Located in Utrecht, NL
Paavo Tynell is one of Finland’s best known and most collected mid-century designers. Tynell was a pioneer of European lighting design and a founder of the first lighting manufacturi...
Brass
Erik Tidstrand Model "29595" Table Lamp for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden ca 1930s
By Nordiska Kompaniet, Erik Tidstrand
Located in Utrecht, NL
Erik Tidstrand was a Swedish designer and interior architect who first worked at Leja and KM Lundberg until they merged to form Nordiska Kompaniet. Tidstrand became the head of NK's ...
Brass
Model "30331" Table Lamp by Bertil Brisborg for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1942
By Bertil Brisborg, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Utrecht, NL
Crafted in 1942, by Bertil Brisborg, this model "30331" table lamp is a striking example of Scandinavian design. The period was marked by a commitment to functionalism, clean lines, ...
Brass
Model "A4460" Table Lamp by Hans Bergström for ASEA, Sweden 1940s
By Hans Bergström, ASEA
Located in Utrecht, NL
Hans Bergström was one of Sweden's foremost lighting designers of the twentieth century. Trained as both an architect and designer, he founded Ateljé Lyktan in 1934 while also creati...
Brass
Kypärä Table Lamp by Paavo Tynell, 1940s
By Paavo Tynell
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
This very rare table lamp, model Kypärä No. 9209, designed by Paavo Tynell and produced by Taito Oy in Finland during the 1940s, is a striking example of the refined and poetic sensi...
Brass
Table Lamp #5066 by Paavo Tynell for Taito Oy, Finland, 1940s
By Paavo Tynell, Taito Oy
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Stunning brass table lamp, model #5066 by Paavo Tynell, made from brass with a mahogany stem and original plisséd textile shade in a voluminous square form. The brass top of the shad...
Brass
Model 9201 Table Lamp, Paavo Tynell, Taito Oy, 1940/1950s
By Paavo Tynell, Taito Oy
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Model 9201 table lamp, designed by Paavo Tynell, manufactured by Taito Oy, 1940/1950s. Brass frame with original fabric lampshade and wood detail. Good vintage condition, minor patina consistent with age and use. Timeless Scandinavian Modern design. Paavo Tynell (1890-1973) is one of the most important names in Finnish lighting design, and his work has had a significant impact on modern lighting design also on an international level. Tynell, who studied at the Helsinki School...
Brass
Paavo Tynell Table Lamp Model 5061 for Taito Brass and Opaline Glass, circa 1940
By Paavo Tynell
Located in Hägersten-Liljeholmen, Stockholms län
Impressive Paavo Tynell Table lamp made in polished brass and amber glass shade. The lamp is in great condition and it's stamped by the editor TAITO. Model 5061. Dimension : 38.5 cm ...
Brass
Austrian Brass Table Lamp, 1940s
By Paavo Tynell
Located in Vienna, AT
Austrian brass table lamp from the 1940s. Large weighted base with a conical stem and large shade, lacquered white on the underside. Executed entirely in brass with an unusual soft m...
Brass
Böhlmarks Table Lamp, Model 15474 by Harald Notini, Sweden, 1940s
By Harald Notini, Arvid Böhlmarks Lampfabrik
Located in Karlstad, SE
An elegant table lamp designed by Harald Notini for Böhlmarks, model 15474. The lamp features a flared brass shade balanced on a fluted wooden stem, resting on a circular brass base....
Brass
