Ilmari Tapiovaara - Fauteuil - Bois - Chair with black lacquere

Ilmari Tapiovaara counted Alvar Aalto as a strong influence. In World War II, Tapiovaara
designed dugouts and field furniture for the Finnish Army, a challenging task given that only
local wood and simple tools could be used, and no nails or screws were available. His own
work gained attention for the Domus chairs. These came about while working with his wife
at the Domus Academica from 1946 to 1947. The couple established their own office in
1951. In the following year he taught design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. After this
he would do work in Paraguay and Mauritius on behalf of a United Nations development
program. In 1959, he received the Order of the Lion of Finland’s Pro Finlandia Medal
and in 1964 a gold medal at the 13th Milan Triennale for his Polar cutlery. He did much
of his work for universities, schools, and also did a "Root Table" for the Finnish
army. Furniture designs based on his sketches continued to be produced into the twenty-
first century.

1955
Chair with black lacquered wood seat and slatted back resting on
four tapered legs
W 68 cm × D 66 cm × H 72 cm