Description
This luxurious, round 2139 table was designed by Josef Frank for the Swedish manufacture Svenskt Tenn in 1952 and made later. The table is made of walnut, and its characteristic feature is the richly patterned top made of elm burl. Josef Frank is a master of round forms. It is seen in many of his designs, both the windows in his architectural works and in mirrors and tables. Coffee table 2139 combines the round shape with Josef Frank’s typical coamings. The three legs are tapering downwards, giving it an airy impression that is enhanced by the top “waist”. It was characteristic of Josef Frank to mix different materials and by making the tabletop in Elm root and the rim and legs in walnut, he wanted to create a vivid look.
The burl is the growth of a tree in which the grain has grown in a deformed way. The shoots give a very peculiar and strongly shaped wood, valued for its beauty and rarity. It is in demand by furniture manufacturers, artists and sculptors. They are highly valued and cut into veneers for luxurious furniture, expensive musical instruments or car interior finishing.
Josef Frank was an Austrian architect, co-founder of the so-called the Vienna School of Architecture. After studying at the Technical University in Vienna, he taught in 1919-1925 at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. Together with Oskar Strnad, he created the Viennese school of architecture, which created a specific position within the modernist design of houses, apartments and interiors. Frank was a co-founder of the Viennese Werkbund, and in 1932 the project manager for the Viennese Werkbund estate. In 1934, Frank emigrated to Sweden, where in addition to his architectural activities, he started designing furniture and interior finishing, such as fabric patterns, wallpapers and carpets, working for the Svenskt Tenn company.
Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, who recruited Josef Frank 10 years later. Together, they created an elegant and boldly patterned interior design style that permeates the range to this day. The table is still in production and is one of the company’s icons.
This table is in original vintage condition. It has age-related signs of use.