Find many varieties of an authentic piece of grete jalk rosewood available at 1stDibs. An item from our selection of grete jalk rosewood — often made from
wood,
rosewood and
animal skin — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect choice in our collection of grete jalk rosewood — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. When you’re browsing for the right object in our assortment of grete jalk rosewood, those designed in
Scandinavian Modern and
Mid-Century Modern styles are of considerable interest. A well-made option in this array of grete jalk rosewood has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by
Grete Jalk,
Poul Jeppesen and
France & Søn are consistently popular.
A piece of grete jalk rosewood can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $4,704, while the lowest priced sells for $875 and the highest can go for as much as $20,000.
What would the reputation of mid-century Danish furniture be without legendary female designer Grete Jalk? A pioneer of Scandinavian modernism, Jalk sought to craft furniture that was both cost-efficient and high in quality, each piece made for the evolving interiors and design sensibilities of the day. She continues to be celebrated for her sleek and minimal armchairs, lounge chairs, coffee tables and more.
Jalk was born in 1920 in Copenhagen. She studied at the Drawing and Applied Art School for Women before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where famed designer Kaare Klint was among her instructors. Jalk completed her studies in 1946 and began a cabinetmaker apprenticeship. That same year, she won an award at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild competition. Jalk also participated in the 1951 Milan Triennial exhibition, where her designs earned more acclaim and attention.
In 1954, Jalk opened her own design studio and began working with major Danish furniture manufacturers like Fritz Hansen and Glostrup Møbelfabrik. She found inspiration in plywood experiments carried out by Alvar Aalto and Ray and Charles Eames, and she quickly became known for her pared-back, expressive designs, which touted fluid forms and were made of alluring woods such as teak and rosewood.
Jalk’s best-known work is the 1963 GJ chair, a collaboration with cabinetmaker Poul Jeppesen that won first place in the Daily Mail International Furniture Competition. Made of two pieces of molded teak plywood, the sculptural GJ lounge chair is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While creating her iconic furniture designs, Jalk wore many other hats. She taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as an editor of the Danish design magazine Mobilia from 1956–62 and 1968–74. In 1974, Jalk curated a traveling design exhibition for the Danish Foreign Ministry and was named a member of the Danish Design Council in 1981. She was also the editor of 40 Years of Danish Furniture Design: The Copenhagen Cabinet-makers' Guild Exhibitions 1927–1966, published in 1987.
Jalk passed away in 2006 at the age of 86. In 2008, Danish furniture manufacturer Lange Production was granted exclusive rights to reproduce the GJ chair, a design as fresh and original today as ever.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Grete Jalk seating, tables and storage pieces.