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Scandinavian Modern Collection

Scandinavian Modern Furniture Collection (Denmark, Finland, Sweden; 1930–present)
Scandinavian Modern Furniture Collection (Denmark, Finland, Sweden; 1930–present)

The designers of Scandinavian modernism created the warmest and most human iteration of modernist ideals. Their work was founded on centuries-old beliefs in both quality craftsmanship and the ideal that beauty should enhance even the humblest accessories of daily life. The gentle, organic contours that are typical of vintage Scandinavian modern furniture appear in the work of Danish, Finnish and Swedish designers not as a stylistic gesture, but rather as a practical, ergonomic — and, as importantly, elegant — response to the human form.

Each nation produced exceptional talents in all areas of the applied arts, yet each had its forté. Sweden was home to Bruno Mathsson, creator of the classic Grasshopper chair, but the country excelled most notably at ceramics. In the ’20s at the great Gustavsberg porcelain manufactory, Wilhelm Kåge introduced Scandinavian modern pieces based on influences from folklore to Cubism; his skills were passed on to his versatile and inspired pupils Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg.

Likewise, Finland produced a truly ingenious Scandinavian modern furniture designer in the architect Alvar Aalto, a master at melding function and artistic form in works like the Paimio chair. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarapaneva.

The Danes excelled at chairs. Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen were exemplars of the country’s facility with wood, particularly teak. Wegner created such iconic pieces as the Round chair and the Wishbone chair; Jacobsen — while he produced the best-selling plywood Ant chair — designed two classic upholstered pieces of the 1950s: the Swan chair and Egg chair. The list of great Danes could go on and on, including Finn Juhl, maker of the bold Chieftain chair; Poul Kjaerholm, with his lean metal-and-rattan aesthetic; and Vernor Panton, who introduced a vibrant Pop note into international design.

On 1stDibs, you will note both instantly recognizable Scandinavian modern designs and many new discoveries. Even more than 50 years on from their heyday, the prolific, ever-evolving Scandinavian modernists continue to amaze and delight.

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Period: 1930s
Kaare Klint Sofa by Rud Rasmussen
By Kaare Klint
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Kaare Klint three-seat sofa in original leather on a Cuban mahogany frame and produced by cabinetmaker Rud Rasmussen.
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Folke Arstrom Silverplate and Bakelite Cocktail Set
By Folke Arstrom
Located in Brooklyn, NY
High Art Deco cocktail shaker and eight martini glasses. Classic design. For GAB. Each piece stamped.
Category

1930s Swedish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Mahogany Cabinet by Kaare Klint
By Kaare Klint
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Extremely well-constructed and elegant cabinet in Cuban ribbon mahogany by Kaare Klint and manufactured by Rud. Rasmussens, Denmark. Cabinet features two pull-out surfaces below two ...
Category

1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Brass

Swedish Art Deco Moderne Round Pedestal End or Side Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Luminous golden flame birch bordered with scalloped golden elm - a very handsome table! Originally used in Sweden as a "sofa table" or coffee table, this makes a wonderful present-d...
Category

1930s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Birch, Elm

Arne Jacobsen for Hans Wegner Armchair
By Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Wood

1930s Danish Oak Windsor Chair by Frits Henningsen
By Frits Henningsen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A Windsor chair in oak with the original Nigerian goat red leather seat pad.
Category

1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Oak

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Kaare Klint Sofa Model 5011 in Original Cognac Leather Rud Rasmussen, Denmark
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Two-seater sofa model 5011 in original cognac leather and six-legged mahogany base. Produced by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers, Denmark. Minor marks on the frame, patina to the leather. Back covered in original canvas. Shown at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition in 1935. Signed with decal manufacturer’s label to underside: (Rud. Rasmussens Snedkerier). Kaare Klint is widely recognized as the father of Danish modern design. It is hard to overstate his influence. He developed an entirely new analytical approach to furniture design that his students at the Danish Academy of Art would emulate for years to come, yet was also inspired by historic designs from various cultures, modernizing and re-interpreting classic pieces for new generations. Literature: Gorm Harkær, Klintiana: “Kaare Klint”, vol.2, pg 94. Kaare Klint (1888-1954) is regarded as the founding father of Danish Modernim. As an architect, furniture designer and leading professor at the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Klint established the principles of modern Danish furniture by combining a profound appreciation of traditional construction techniques with a modernist emphasis on function and a rejection of ornaments. Klint’s design was always based on relentless research; he never compromised. Every piece had to fulfill its purpose, be completely clear in its construction with dimensions and proportions corresponding to the human body and display materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Logic, often using a mathematical system of measures, and a constructive way of thinking were the foundation of Klint’s philosophy of furniture design. Like many of his contemporaries, counting Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, he advocated standardization and functional requirements and dismissed the use of all ornamentation. But Klint realized his vision in wood and leather, using traditional craftsmen and working methods and often finding inspiration in historical models. In this way, he charted the course for an alternative Nordic Functionalism that idealized the workshop and the collaboration between furniture architects and cabinetmakers as opposed to the factory. Kaare Klint’s first major work was a collaboration with his mentor, the architect Carl Petersen. In 1914 they were commissioned to design furniture and fixtures for Faaborg Art Museum. One of the highlights to emerge from this commission was the Faaborg chair, a light and elegant chair with clear references to classical furniture. The construction and proportions of an 18th century English Chippendale chair...
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