As the descendant of four generations of Swedish master cabinetmakers, Bruno Mathsson was born to design furniture. Mathsson was known as a methodical perfectionist who made usefulness the fundamental attribute of his iconic lounge chairs, tables, armchairs and other works, yet he was also a ceaseless experimenter, who constantly searched for improvements in form, materials and methods of design.
Like the Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, Mathsson was one of the first Scandinavians to embrace undulating, biomorphic forms in furniture. His early pieces such as the Eva and Pernilla series of chairs incorporate dramatically flowing bent beechwood frames, making them some of the most instantly recognizable works of 20th-century design.
Mathsson was also a pioneer of ergonomics — he is said to have based the contours of his chairs on the impression his body made when he sat in a snow bank — and used supple, accommodating woven webbing for seats. His concern for practicality is shown by pieces such as the Maria table. An elegant design with gate legs and hinged leaves, the table measures more than nine feet long when fully extended, but folds down to just nine inches in thickness.
From the mid-1940s through the 1950s, Mathsson focused on architecture, designing and building houses with insulated, triple-glazed window walls and heated floors — construction that flew in the face of traditional wood-clad Swedish residential design, and consequently met with some skepticism. He returned to furniture in the 1960s, employing an entirely new suite of materials: Stainless-steel framing and mesh seats feature in pieces like the Jetson chair; with the mathematician Piet Hein, Mathsson designed the Super-Elliptical table, which has a laminate top and four-part tubular steel legs that sprout like flower stems from a single base.
Bruno Mathsson’s stylistic flexibility as a designer made him a creator whose pieces meet all tastes and needs.
Find vintage Bruno Mathsson dining tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Dining table Superellips Designed by Bruno Mathsson 1960s
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
The ‘Superellipse’ dining table, designed by Bruno Mathsson in collaboration with Piet Hein during the 1960s, is an icon of Scandinavian modern design. Its distinctive superelliptica...
Metal
Teak 'Super-Circular' Table by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson for Fritz Hansen, 1968
By Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, Fritz Hansen
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Early ‘Super-Circular’ dining table designed by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson in 1968. This old version features a top in beautiful teak wood combined with a sleek and practical pedesta...
Metal
Bruno Mathsson, 'Annika' Table, Designed 1936, Beautiful Early Example pre-war
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in London, GB
Bruno Mathsson (designer) Karl Mathsson, Värnamo, Sweden (manufacturer) 'Annika' low table, designed 1936. Curly birch top on laminated birch legs. Stamped to underside 'MADE IN SW...
Birch
1971 Bruno Mathsson Swedish Drop Leaf Wood Steel Rolling Work Table
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Madrid, ES
A refined and highly functional drop-leaf table by Bruno Mathsson, embodying the designer’s hallmark balance of simplicity, craftsmanship, and adaptability. Crafted in warm-toned woo...
Metal, Steel
Bruno Mathsson Side Table Produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare side / magazine table designed by Bruno Mathsson. Produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden.
Metal
1970s Cleft-Leg Side Table in Ash Wood by Bruno Mathsson
By Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Knebel, DK
1970s Cleft-Leg side table in ash wood by Bruno Mathsson Large Bruno Mathsson’s square sized “cleft-leg” table originally designed in 1948 and manufactored by Karl Mathsson in 1973...
Ash
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Dining Table with 2 Extension Leafs Super Elipse
By Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson dining table with new professional lacquered white plate. Two Extension leaf of 60 cms. Legs of chromed metal. Model Super Elipse...
Chrome
Mid-Century modern scandinavian dining table Super Elliptic by Bruno Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century modern scandinavian dining table Super Elliptic by Bruno Mathsson 4 seats. Original production year 1971. Rio rosewood top.
Rosewood
1960s Piet Hein / Bruno Mathsson / Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Coffee Table
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a teak coffee table, originally designed by Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, and Arne Jacobsen. This particular example was produced in the 1960s by Fritz Hansen. The design is com...
Steel
Side / Coffee Table in Karelian Birch Top and Beech by Bruno Mathsson, 1967
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Side / Coffee Table in Karelian Birch Top and Beech by Bruno Mathsson, 1967 Additional Information: Material: Karelian birch top, beech Style: Mid century, Scandinavian Produced by ...
Birch, Beech
$5,064
Table by Bruno Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in London, England
A large circular coffee table by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson. With a silver birch veneered top and beech legs, stamped to the underside of the top. Fantastic quality and design. ...
Beech, Birch
1970s Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Annika Coffee Table, 37 inches
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Annika Coffee Table, initially designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson in 1936. This piece dates to the 1970s and was produced in Sweden. The design features gr...
Birch, Teak
Occasional Table “Annika” Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Birch. Measure: H: 50.5 cm / 20’’ D: 84.5 cm / 2’ 9 1/2’’.
Birch
'Annika' Table Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1936
By Bruno Mathsson, Karl Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Table Annika designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden. 1936. Elm top and birch legs. Measurements: H: 65 cm / 2' 2" D: 95 cm / 3' 1 7/8" This round “Annika” occasional table was manufactured in 1967 and designed in 1936; it is made of birch with a smooth Oregon pine top. Bruno Mathsson created various iterations of his “Annika” model — they come in three shapes with different wood combinations and various heights. They can be round with three legs, square with four legs, or rectangular with six legs, allowing exciting and contrasting combinations when grouped. While the design aesthetic is delicate, the table is very well-made because of the strong plywood. Bruno Mathsson’s love for nature pervades all his designs — he frequently slept outside in the forest or his garden on a specially designed foldable bed. His furniture shapes, particularly the legs, bring bull's horns or insects to mind. Mathsson was one of the most important Swedish designers of the 20th century. He was a contemporary of Alvar Aalto and Marcel Breuer, all of whom had already experimented with bent plywood during the 1930s. Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson's father, was the fifth generation in a family of master cabinet makers. He owned a furniture manufacturing company that produced the earlier pieces; later, they founded "Mathsson International”. The stamp indicates the manufacturing date and, sometimes, the design date. Bruno Mathsson often gave his furniture Swedish woman...
Birch, Elm
Bruno Mathsson Side Table by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare side / magazine table designed by Bruno Mathsson. Produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden.
Metal
Early Swedish Annika Coffee Table In Cuban Mahogany By Bruno Mathsson Circa 1940
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Shepperton, Surrey
A graceful early "Annika" coffee table by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson. The Annika table was designed in 1936, this early example manufactured circa 1940....
Hardwood, Beech
Early 'Super Ellipse' Dining Table by Piet Hein for Bruno Mathsson
By Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A "super elipse" shaped dining table designed by Piet Hein featuring a teak wood top with chromed steel legs. This table is from the first year of manufacture (pre-Fritz Hansen produ...
Steel