Axel Einar Hjorth 'Lovö' table for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1932
About the Item
- Creator:NK (Nordiska Kompaniet) (Maker),Axel Einar Hjorth (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 70.87 in (180 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1932
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
Axel Einar Hjorth
Swedish furniture designer Axel Einar Hjorth created tables, chairs, cabinets and other pieces that were as elegant as they were functional, and he frequently worked in references to a litany of inspirations including French Art Deco, Gustavian style and modernism. Ahead of his time, his style was refined and daringly simple.
Born in Krokek, Sweden, Hjorth grew up in a foster family and at 20 moved to Stockholm where he studied architecture and design at the Högre Konstindustriella Skolan (now the University of Arts, Crafts & Design). Although he dropped out when his foster father died, he went on to work for some of the largest furniture manufacturers in Sweden during the 1920s.
Hjorth’s work was featured in the 1923 Gothenburg Exhibition world’s fair, and he exhibited a birch and cherry cabinet in the 1927 “Swedish Contemporary Decorative Arts” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His role as the head of the furniture department at Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), an upscale department store in Stockholm, from 1927 to 1938, further brought his designs to widespread acclaim, including pieces exhibited at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
At the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition, an influential event in the emergence of functionalism in Swedish design, Hjorth exhibited a dozen room settings that featured examples of sportstugemöbler. These furniture lines were named for islands in Sweden’s archipelago — Utö, Blidö and Torö — with designs intended for cabins and vacation homes. The use of solid Swedish pine in these pieces revealed a love of traditional rustic furniture while the simple forms boldly looked to the future. He also brought his eclectic influences to armchairs formed from tubular metal, blocky case pieces made from birch and upholstered sofas with neoclassical details, each exuberantly mixing form and function.
Find vintage Axel Einar Hjorth furniture today on 1stDibs.
NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Since its inception, luxury retailer Nordiska Kompaniet, known affectionately to its customers as “NK,” has offered an influential platform for innovators in furniture design. Its department stores in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden, have been home to many of the top names in mid-century modern design and in Scandinavian modernism. Admired for its production of high-quality pieces, it continues to support forward-looking designers.
Nordiska Kompaniet was founded in 1902 through the merger of the companies K.M. Lundberg and Joseph Leja. Its founder, Josef Sachs, envisioned a department store as a cultural arena that would rival the luxury stores of Paris. He opened a flagship store in Stockholm in 1915. Early on, the brand set its sights on quality furniture making, bringing on master cabinetmaker Axel Einar Hjorth, who headed its production from 1927 to 1938.
The Stockholm Exhibition of 1930 was pivotal for both Nordiska Kompaniet and the world of design as a whole. NK’s installation, designed by Sven Markelius, positioned the artist as a key influencer and force majeure of Swedish functionalism.
Nordiska Kompaniet has continued to hire renowned designers throughout its operations, including such luminaries as Carl Bergsten, David Rosen and Gio Ponti. Many iconic sofas, lounge chairs, bookcases and dining room tables from the mid-century modern period originated in its furniture shop. The brand has also been at the forefront of textile, ceramic and wallpaper design, with artists Berndt Friberg, Josef Frank, Stig Lindberg and Elsa Gullberg among those who have contributed to NK’s brand legacy.
To cater to its growing customer base, Nordiska Kompaniet opened a second store in Gothenburg in 1971. Today, NK continues to provide patronage to top designers, remaining a leader in high-end furniture production.
Find antique and vintage Nordiska Kompaniet tables, seating, mirrors, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Mario Bellini Il Collonato Marble TableBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in London, GBLarge round Il Colonnato table, designed by Milanese architect Mario Bellini. The table is a sought after piece, perhaps due to the monumental presence...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Claudio Salocchi oval table Sormani, Italy 1960s.By Claudio SalocchiLocated in London, GBClaudio Salocchi (1934 to 2012) was a highly regarded designer and architect, known for detailed research into furniture layouts. As a result, we see innovative compositions without ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Dining Room Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Karl Springer parchment dining table, USA/Germany, 1970sBy Karl SpringerLocated in London, GBThis parchment table attributed to Karl Springer, is monolithic with grand proportions, seating up to 12. A designer of luxury furniture and objects, Springer (born Berlin, 1931) cut...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsParchment Paper
- 18th century antique oak farmhouse or monastery refectory tableLocated in London, GBA rustic refectory table with a lovely deeply patinaed stained and wax finish. The table shows all the desirable hallmarks of age for one of its type – open wood grain, splits, dents...Category
Antique 18th Century British Rustic Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- Harvey Guzzini Olympe Table Lamp for ED, Italy 1970sBy Harvey Guzzini, GuzziniLocated in London, GBLarge Olympe table lamp designed by Harvey Guzzini for ED, Italy 1970s. The demilune shade is particularly pleasing lit, a half moon of ambient light through semi-opaque acrylic. It ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAcrylic
- Chromed table lamp for Habitat, UK 1990sBy Habitat InternationalLocated in London, GBA tall, chromed table lamp with fabric shade, embellished on the base with a sporadic engraved pattern of small crosses. Recently rewired and PAT tested to UK standards. Lamp in goo...Category
1990s British Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Axel-Einar Hjorth, 'Lovö' Table, Nordiska Kompaniet, 1932By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Berlin, DEPine 'Lovö' table by Swedish Modernist Axel-Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden, circa 1932. Best known for his modern reduced design, this table by Axel-Eina...Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPine
- Axel-Einar Hjorth, 'Lovö' Table, Nordiska Kompaniet, 1932By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Berlin, DEPine 'Lovö' table by Swedish Modernist Axel-Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden, circa 1932. Best known for his modern reduced design, this table by Axel-Eina...Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPine
- Axel Einar Hjorth - Lovö Table, Pine - Nordiska Kompaniet - Mid Century ModernBy Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Hasselt, VLISpecial edition of the Lovö table - Nordiska Kompaniet, attributed to Axel Einar Hjorth. The table was used in a Restaurant furnished by Nordiska Kompaniet in the 1930s, together wit...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPine
- Axel Einar Hjorth Squared "Lovö" Pine Table by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1930sBy NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Stockholm, SEVery rare mid century coffee / side table model "Lovö" in solid stained pine by Axel Einar Hjorth produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, 1932. In good original condition. Dimensions: H: 5...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPine
- Axel Einar Hjorth 'Lovö' table for Nordiska Kompaniet, 1930th.By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Long Island City, NYA coffee or side table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, for Nordiska Kompaniet, Model “L0v0″, Circa 1930th. Acid stained pine. Diam 24″. H 20”. Production drawing number by pencil on ...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPine
- "Lovö" Table by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1940sBy NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar HjorthLocated in Stockholm, SERare dining table model "Lovö" produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, 1940s. - Solid pine with great original patina, never restored. - Extendable with two extension leafs. - Conservatio...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPine