Information about the product
”H5-8”, Table lamp
ca. 1960s.
Lacquered steel and brass.
Designed by Paavo Tynell and manufactured by Idman Oy.
H 43 cm/16,9 in x D 27,5 cm/10,8 in x W 21,5 cm/8,4 in
Originally designed by Paavo Tynell in the 1940’s for Taito Oy as model ”9227”. The company Taito Oy was later sold to the lighting company Idman Oy which Tynell had cooperated with over the years. Idman continued the production and in 1964 the model changed the name from ”9227” to ”H5-8”.
Information about the designer
Paavo Tynell (1890-1973) was a prized Finnish industrial designer specialised in lighting armatures. Tynell studied at the Helsinki University of Industrial Arts where he in 1913 was awarded the title of master craftsman. In 1918, Tynell co-founded the metalwork and lighting company Oy Taito Ab. Both Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck designed for the company at the start of their soon-to-be successful careers.
Aalto and Tynell formed a long-lasting friendship that resulted in Tynell designing lighting for Aalto’s company Artek, particularly for various private and public commissions like the Paimio Sanatorium (1929-33), the Savoy Restaurant (1937), and the Viipuri Library (1935).
Tynell worked as the CEO and chief designer of Oy Taito Ab until his retirement in 1953. The company was sold to Finnish lighting company Idman Oy, which Tynell had been cooperating with over the years. Idman restructured the company and continued production under the new name. Tynell designed for Idman until the mid-1960’s.
Known for their delicate aesthetic, Tynell’s designs often utilize perforated metal and brass and reference nature through stylized leaves, vines, and snowflakes. From the 1930s throughout the 1950s, he was considered one of Finland’s most successful lighting designers, celebrated for his contributions to the office of the Secretary General of United Nations in the United States (1952-5), the Lasipalatsi building in Helsinki and the Helsinki Central Railway Station to name a few.