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Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Swedish, 1907-1988

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.

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Creator: Bruno Mathsson
1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley Cart in Birch and Ash
1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley Cart in Birch and Ash

1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley Cart in Birch and Ash

By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This is a Berit Trolley Table, designed by Bruno Mathsson and produced by Firma Karl Mathsson in Sweden. The cart dates to 1971 and is branded with the manufacturer's logo on the bot...

Category

1970s Swedish Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Steel, Chrome

1971 Bruno Mathsson Swedish Drop Leaf Wood Steel Rolling Work Table
1971 Bruno Mathsson Swedish Drop Leaf Wood Steel Rolling Work Table

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...

Category

Late 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Metal, Steel

Related Items
Bruno Mathsson Side Table Produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden
Bruno Mathsson Side Table Produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, Sweden

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.

Category

1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

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Metal

Bruno Mathsson 'Maria' Drop-Leaf Folding Table in Walnut, Sweden, c 1950s
Bruno Mathsson 'Maria' Drop-Leaf Folding Table in Walnut, Sweden, c 1950s

Bruno Mathsson 'Maria' Drop-Leaf Folding Table in Walnut, Sweden, c 1950s

$8,600Sale Price|21% Off

H 28.5 in W 110.5 in D 35.5 in

Bruno Mathsson 'Maria' Drop-Leaf Folding Table in Walnut, Sweden, c 1950s

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A beautifully crafted and refinished 'Maria' drop-leaf / gateleg dining table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, circa 1950s to 1960s, executed in richly figured walnut with an elegant warm ...

Category

1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

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Walnut

Side Table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, 1968
Side Table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, 1968

Side Table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, 1968

$2,392

H 11.42 in Dm 17.72 in

Side Table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, 1968

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Karlstad, SE

A refined side table by Bruno Mathsson, designed in 1968, showcasing his signature balance of lightness and structural clarity. The round tabletop in teak veneer rests on elegantly c...

Category

20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch, Teak

Swedish Bruno Mathsson Coffee Table Annika, Masur Birch by Karl Mathsson Sweden
Swedish Bruno Mathsson Coffee Table Annika, Masur Birch by Karl Mathsson Sweden

Swedish Bruno Mathsson Coffee Table Annika, Masur Birch by Karl Mathsson Sweden

By Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson

Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg

Small round coffee table model Annika designed by the Swedish furniture designer and architect Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988). The table is made of birch with masur birch on the top The...

Category

1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch

Side table by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden
Side table by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden

Side table by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Eskilstuna, SE

'Annika' side table by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson in 1936. Sculpted legs with a beautiful birch top. Some wear on table top.

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch

'Annika' Table Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1936
'Annika' Table Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1936

'Annika' Table Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1936

By Karl Mathsson, Bruno 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...

Category

1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch, Elm

Birch Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson, Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1973
Birch Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson, Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1973

Birch Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson, Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1973

By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson

Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län

Coffee table by Bruno Mathsson, made from birch. Very low design, with elegantly rounded corners and curved legs.

Category

1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch

Art Deco Swedish Flame Birch Bar Cart Trolley
Art Deco Swedish Flame Birch Bar Cart Trolley

Art Deco Swedish Flame Birch Bar Cart Trolley

$1,990

H 23.5 in W 27.5 in D 17 in

Art Deco Swedish Flame Birch Bar Cart Trolley

Located in Atlanta, GA

Art Deco bar cart made of Swedish flame birch. Two-tiered serving cart with wheels and a glass top. Curved shape that complements a variety of...

Category

1930s Swedish Art Nouveau Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch

Swedish Modern teak/birch long coffe table Bruno Mathsson, 1950's
Swedish Modern teak/birch long coffe table Bruno Mathsson, 1950's

Swedish Modern teak/birch long coffe table Bruno Mathsson, 1950's

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Uccle, BE

From the Annika series. 1950's. Stamped. Patinated wood. 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 works, yet he was also a ceaseless experimenter, who constantly searched for improvements in form, materials and methods of making. 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...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch, Teak

Occasional Table Annika Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden
Occasional Table Annika Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden

Occasional Table Annika Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Stockholm, SE

Occasional table Annika designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden. 1973. Birch and Karelian birch. Dimensions: H: 42 cm / 1' 4" D: 65 cm / 2' 1''

Category

1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch

Mid-Century Trolley Cart
Mid-Century Trolley Cart

Mid-Century Trolley Cart

$1,500

H 32 in W 27 in D 31 in

Mid-Century Trolley Cart

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Vintage tea cart with ample storage, set on two large spoke wheels. Brass trimming throughout with walnut wood grain. Each side has extra bottle storage, plus top and bottom shelving...

Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Brass

Trolley in Birch and Lacquer by Alvar Aalto, 1936
Trolley in Birch and Lacquer by Alvar Aalto, 1936

Trolley in Birch and Lacquer by Alvar Aalto, 1936

$9,867

H 22.05 in W 19.69 in D 35.44 in

Trolley in Birch and Lacquer by Alvar Aalto, 1936

By Alvar Aalto

Located in Limhamn, Skåne län

This rare trolley, model number 901, was originally designed by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto in 1936 and produced by Artek, the company he co-founded to advance modern ...

Category

1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Birch, Lacquer

Previously Available Items
1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley / Cart in Ash & Steel
1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley / Cart in Ash & Steel

1971 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Berit Trolley / Cart in Ash & Steel

By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This is a Berit trolley or cart designed by Bruno Mathsson and produced by Firma Karl Mathsson in Sweden. The cart dates to 1971 and is properly marked underneath with the year of pr...

Category

1970s Swedish Modern Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Steel

"Berit" Trolley by Bruno Mathsson
"Berit" Trolley by Bruno Mathsson

"Berit" Trolley by Bruno Mathsson

Sold

H 25.2 in W 16.15 in D 25.99 in

"Berit" Trolley by Bruno Mathsson

By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson

Located in Stockholm, Stockholms län

“Berit” trolley designed by Bruno Mathsson. Manufactured by Firma Karl Mathsson. Labeled and hand signed 1941. Solid oak surface with two flaps. Steel chassis with wheels. Width...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Steel

Early Folding Cart by Bruno Mathsson
Early Folding Cart by Bruno Mathsson

Early Folding Cart by Bruno Mathsson

Sold

H 25 in W 31.5 in D 16.5 in

Early Folding Cart by Bruno Mathsson

By Bruno Mathsson

Located in Dallas, TX

A beautifully patinated drop leaf cart designed by Bruno Mathsson. Two sliding supports with leather pulls (One pull missing) hold up the leaves.

Category

1950s Danish Vintage Bruno Mathsson Carts and Bar Carts

Bruno Mathsson carts and bar carts for sale on 1stDibs.

Bruno Mathsson carts and bar carts are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original carts and bar carts by Bruno Mathsson were created in the modern style in sweden during the 1970s. Prices for Bruno Mathsson carts and bar carts can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,650 and can go as high as $2,650, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,650.