Ilmari Tapiovaara began his career working in the office of Le Corbusier, whose influence is clear in his early furniture, made of metal tubing. Tapiovaara also spent some time working with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, but it was fellow Finn Alvar Aalto whom he most admired, and his Mademoiselle Rocking Chair is aligned with the principles Aalto practiced. Tapiovaara designed the Mademoiselle in 1956 as a comfortable refinement of the traditional chairs found in many Scandinavian homes at that time. The Rocker’s spindles and plank seat echo early American Windsor chairs, and even Shaker chairs, but with a unique sculptural form. Rather than using four stretchers to support the legs, Tapiovaara designed a different solution: When the Rocker is seen from the side, a composition of triangles appears that’s both functional and aesthetically unique. Tapiovaara gave the chair an extra-deep rock by extending the back rails.