Paavo Tynell Model "9224" Table Lamp for Idman Oy, Finland 1950s

















Paavo Tynell Model "9224" Table Lamp for Idman Oy, Finland 1950s
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Price category: 20,000 - 30,000 usd / eur
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 manufacturing company in Finland, Taito Oy. The present model “9224” table lamp is a well known design famous for its characteristic base design.
This model is better known as the "horseshoe" due to the shape of the foot and other features making it resemble Thoroughbreds. In a 1950s edition of the Finland House Lighting catalogue this lamp was nicknamed Thoroughbred, but interestingly enough, not because of the horseshoe-foot. The Thoroughbred is a hot-blooded racing horse breed known for its agility and physical features including a well-chiselled head, a long, slim neck and a lean body. Features that describe this lamp model as well. This version (there exists one with small holes on the reflector) has a funnel shaped brass reflector with a ring of perforated lines highlighting its widening shape. The reflector is lacquered white inside and can be adjusted in its position, functional elements that show Tynell’s consideration for the user and the lamp’s utilitarian role as well. The most distinct element however, remains the brass horseshoe base that balances the design both visually and literally as well. It is a sleek, modern element that makes this model immediately recognizable. It is connected to the shade by a straight neck wrapped entirely in leather. While Tynell’s company collaborated with up-and-coming talent as well as more established names such as Alvar Aalto, Tynell’s own designs are the most collected for their elegant brass forms, exquisite quality, and interesting play of materials.
A master craftsman himself, Tynell’s design is derivative of a traditional aesthetic with a modern sensibility, mixed with an extensive use of perforated and polished brass as material. This table lamp showcases all his sensibilities that gained him worldwide fame and renown.
Condition:
In good vintage condition consistent with age and use. The brass reflector and foot have weather marks and patina. The lampshade has a visible dent on one side.
Dimensions:
9.64 in W x 8.46 in D x 21.85 in H (shade is adjustable)
24.5 cm W x 21.5 cm D x 55.5 cm H (shade is adjustable)
Literature:
M. Aav, Paavo Tynell and Taito, exhibition catalogue, Ed. Designmuseo, Helsinki, 2005, model illustrated p. 21
Idman lighting catalogue, Helsinki, 1954, n°136. p.52
Idman lighting catalogue, Helsinki, n°142. p.80
About the designer:
Paavo Tynell (1890-1973) was an industrial designer, known as the great pioneer of Finnish lighting design and fondly dubbed as “the man who illuminated Finland”.
Tynell was one of the founders and chief designers of Taito Oy – the first industrial producer of 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.
Paavo Tynell rose to prominence in the 1930s and 40s when 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 Alvar Aalto’s major projects. Tynell was especially appraised through 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.
Marked by delicacy and softness, his most famous forms in lightning echo the structures of nature; he adroitly created sculptural shapes reminiscent of the branches of trees, swirling snowflakes and seashells. ~H.
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Price category: 9,000 - 12,500 usd / eur
Paavo Tynell was one of the central figures in the development of modern Finnish lighting. Trained as a metalworker, he co-founded the company Taito Oy in 1918, where he served as managing director and chief designer for several decades. By the 1930s, Tynell was designing lighting for major architectural projects and working alongside figures such as Alvar Aalto, developing an approach in which precise metalwork, simple forms and carefully diffused light came together.
Model “7239” is composed around cylindrical opal glass shades suspended from compact nickel-plated metal structures. Each fixture begins with a circular wall plate, from which a short arm projects horizontally before bending downward at a clean right angle toward the shade. This simple curve gives the lamps a clear architectural profile, while the reflective metal introduces a sharp contrast against the softly luminous glass. The shades have an elongated cylindrical form with gently rounded corners, through which light passes evenly thanks to the opal glass. When lit, the shades turn into warm glowing volumes while keeping the bulb concealed. A shallow metal cap closes the upper part of each shade and visually connects it to the arm above, giving the fixture a particularly resolved transition between glass and metal. The proportions are carefully controlled: the round backplate echoes the width of the shade without competing with it, while the short projecting arm holds the glass just far enough from the wall for its full shape to remain visible.
Seen as a pair, the repeated circles, curved arms and vertical glass forms create a strong rhythm. These model “7239” lamps are particularly effective beside a bed, a mirror or artwork, or arranged along a hallway, as they are perfect for adding warmth without dominating the space.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The lamps have recently been rewired and reconditioned. Due to the nature and age of the materials, the items have minor marks, scratches, chips and discolouration. Additional imperfections on the glass may be present due to manufacturing inconsistencies and age. All lighting can be converted for US usage.
Dimensions:
5.51 in W x 9.64 in D x 11.81 in H
14 cm W x 24.5 cm D x 30 cm H