Aalto secretary desk  

-and by the way 'desken'...
-and by the way 'desken' makes no sense in Swedish. Are you sure it doesn't say 'design'?
I have seen this stamp before and always thought it said design. I have only seen the stamp on pieces sold in the US. I think Swedish Modern and possibly Bonniers sold the Aalto furniture in NY in the 1940-50's under the 'Finmar' brand.

Wright had one, it was listed...
Wright had one, it was listed as Artek Finland. The link is for the most recently sold. There was another in 2001, with 802 stamped.
http://wright20.com/auctions/view_search/BORT/F57U/435/LA/aalto/BZF0

BTW...that's a sharp desk...
BTW...that's a sharp desk you got. I'm a sucker for two-tone blonde and black furniture.

selfish of me...
but if you get the chance, i would like
to see some better pics.
Up close and the hardware.
Nice that you have it out and enjoying it!
One of the reasons i stop in here...
When i can.

more Aalto Sweden info
"Artek in Hedemora Sweden
The lack of raw materials in Finland made Alvar Aalto, who was linked to the Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek, to go abroad for the continuing of the manufacture of their furniture. A factory was opened in Hedemora in Sweden in 1946. That it was in Hedemora the factory was to be placed was mainly due to the constructor Enst Sund who advertised Hedemoras skilled cabinet-makers who was trained at the Backmanska school and also because he was a financier of the factory building. In the same y... "
the link to above article:
http://www.deconet.com/decopedia/maker/652/Artek_in_Hedemora

Catlover-
Is the black finish original? Can we see some close-up pics?

leg photo for Koen
I hope this does it for you!
Also - the stamp does indeed say "DESIGN" not "DESKEN" I rechecked and that's a "G" before the "N". Can't seem to get a good enough shot, but trust me on this...

original finish black?
william-holden-caufield,
I truly don't know about the black being original. My mother - or her designer may have asked for it to be painted.

yes, this does it for me...
..this can not be anything but the real thing. It is not as well done as the ones by Artek in Finland, but the story about Hedemora explains that part. I know, Desken does not make any sense either in finnish or swedish, at best it could be a anglicism "desk" in the Swedish "bestämt form" meaning: "the" desk...but that did not make much sense either. I am happy to read about Aalto's adventures in Sweden...thanks! and deeply sorry for having created some anxiety.

Koen - please post a close-up...
Koen - please post a close-up of a Finland leg so I can see the difference.

Hi catlover,
I will try to find one.

Nice
Very nice and modern. Does it contain any hidden chambers? See: http://www.antiquesecretarydesk.net/
http://www.antiquesecretarydesk.net/

Artek in Sweden
A Swedish-made Aalto piece is easily dated to the 1940s. During the war years, imports from Finland to the United States were not possible. Artek manufactured Aalto designs in Sweden during this period, until about 1950.
Source: "Aalto's 1949 Poetry Room at Harvard"
, Stanley Abercrombie, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 38, No. 2 (May, 1979), pp. 120-122

Re Aalto
It´s a nice piece! I don´t think the black colour is original, the production at Artek in the factory in Hedemora was in general noncoloured birch. In 1947 Artek held an exhibition at Thurestams konstsalong(art gallery)in Stockholm and Alvar Aalto showed his furniture that was Hedemora produced and swedish painters GAN, Erik Olson, Otto G Carlsund and Nils Nixon showed their modern abstract paintings. I had the luck to personally know Nils Nixon, so when I asked him about his diningtable of Aalto he had in his home(the colour "original" was not typical of Aalto, it was almost "Yves Klein-blue"). Nils Nixon then told me that Alvar Aalto, really liked one of the paintings Nils Nixon had made and they exchanged their arts, so Nils Nixon had a dining table painted from Artek factory in Hedemora that is unique, because I think it´s the only time in history Aalto allowed anyone but him, decide the colour. For the record, G A Berg who had the first agency and rights to sell Aaltos furniture in 1932, often let the customers choose what combinations of colours they themselves preferred, I believe that´s the reason that G A Berg in the lost the right to sell them?

Definitely designed by Alvar Aalto!
I have the identical secretary, which also has 802 (written in pencil!) on all the pieces and (faintly) the same rubber stamped attribution). My secretary is burled wood, unpainted, on a pedestal base. Wright (the Chicago auction house) has auctioned this secretary twice (that I know of, once with your legs, once with my base). At the same time this secretary was manufactured, other Aalto pieces with the same details were produced. This is one of the most beautiful Aalto pieces
I've ever seen, and, like you, it gives me great pleasure. I never tire looking at it!
You rarely see it - at auction or for sale - and, like you, I feel very lucky to have
found mine...