ID Help. Finnish Table With 10 Chairs.  

I beg your pardon, but I can't resist: that looks horrible! 😲

Hi all. I found out from the original owner that they bought it from the International Furniture Fair at Olympia Kensington in the 1970s from the Finland stand. Can anybody help me out? 

There are two things you can do, but maybe that's not the help you are seeking here:

1) if you bought the set because you really like it and makes your home cozy, that should be enough;

2) look around for finnish furniture catalogues of that time, sometimes they pop up on ebay or on local market places in Finland.

Posted by: Andersen

There are two things you can do, but maybe that's not the help you are seeking here:

1) if you bought the set because you really like it and makes your home cozy, that should be enough;

2) look around for finnish furniture catalogues of that time, sometimes they pop up on ebay or on local market places in Finland.

Hi. Thanks for your help. I've tried design books new and old as well as online through as many archives as I can. Although my Finnish language is not good. I like the design it just depends on how I use it as if it is an important piece I don't want to be using it heavily \ daily. The person I bought it from mentioned Artek although I don't think it is. Because it is so unusual looking it's really peaked my interest as I thought I'd be able to track down a designer \ maker. Best wishes

Designer is Eero Aarnio. Set's name is Viking, manufacturer was Pan-Puu.

@one-finn 

I'm really surprised by this attribution, so far I associated only ball- and egg chairs with Eero Aarnio, but not that kind of design. Thanks for that, one-finn.

@designgirl2021 will be happy about this.

Posted by: One Finn

Designer is Eero Aarnio. Set's name is Viking, manufacturer was Pan-Puu.

Thanks so much. I've spent hours searching. Thanks to all that helped. If I can ever assist anybody with British design pieces I will. Happy New Year all! 

@one-finn

After searching the web and the archives of eeroaarnio.com and aarniooriginals.com I couldn't find the set, it's nowhere documented except at a Bukowski auction, but that is not very reliable.

Are you really sure about that attribution? Sorry for my doubts but I started the search because I was so heavily surprised by your attribution, that I couldn't believe it. But I always like to be taught better.

Another set of chairs was auctioned by Annmaris Nordic Auctions of Finland in 2019 with description: "by Eero Aarnio for Pan-Puu, from KOP Hedquarter in the 60/70´s"     

https://www.lotsearch.net/lot/size-height-105cm-width-57cm-description-4pcs-viking-chairs-designed-43834790?orderBy=lot-title&order=ASC&perPage=50

BTW, KOP was apparently a Finnish bank, no longer in business.  

@mark737

What irritates me is the fact that the table and chairs are made entirely of wood, painted wood.
Actually, Eero Aarnio is known for his designs made of plastic, fiberglass and acrylic glass.

Would be nice if we had better sources than just auction houses.

Original advertisement attached. Eero did a lot of wooden things earlier.

Thanks @one-finn.

This has been interesting and informative, yet I must agree with @mvc's original assessment and assume that these sets are rare for good reason. Same goes for the suspect "Koppel" chair.

I don't recall seeing this dining set, Eero Aarnio's website has some very cool references of magazine publications of his work.

https://eeroaarnio.com/publications/

This 1980s post modern dining set in the right modernist setting could look amazing.