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.
'Annika' Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson, 1936
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this "Annika" coffee table designed by Bruno Mathsson, the table is composed of three elegantly sculpted birch legs which anchor the circular, teak top. The detail, richness...
Elm
Bruno Mathsson Swedish Mid-Century Drop Leaf Wood and Steel Rolling Work Table
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Queens, NY
Swedish Mid-Century rectangular drop leaf work table with a rectangular wooden top and leaves resting on a steel frame with four legs ending in c...
Metal, Steel
$10,170
H 11.42 in W 51.19 in D 15.75 in
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
$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 ...
Walnut
$8,000
H 29 in W 110 in D 35 in
Mid century Drop Leaf Extension Maria 2-12 Dining Table Teak by Bruno Mathsson
By Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Swedish Modern authentic “Maria” folding extension dining table designed by Bruno Mathsson and Manufactured by Karl Mathsson. Table is Teak wood top and ash edges and bas...
Brass
“Annika” Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
“Annika” coffee table by Bruno Mathsson, made from birch with a round root table top. Beautiful curved legs. This is an early edition made in the 1930s, gra...
Birch
$1,190
H 13.78 in Dm 21.66 in
Swedish Bruno Mathsson Coffee Table Annika, Masur Birch by Karl Mathsson Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson, Karl 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...
Birch
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.
Birch
18th Century French Oval Drop-Leaf Table
Located in Round Top, TX
A very handsome 18th century oval shaped drop-leaf table from the Provence region of France. Wonderfully constructed with lovely turned legs and two drawers. The top surface is const...
Walnut
$4,127
H 25.6 in W 37.41 in D 37.41 in
'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
$2,034
H 16.54 in Dm 25.6 in
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''
Birch
$2,512
H 20.08 in W 45.28 in D 45.28 in
Ellipse Coffee Table by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson for Fritz Hansen, 1990
By Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, Fritz Hansen
Located in Antwerp, BE
Coffee table designed by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson and produced by Fritz Hansen made in Denmark in 1990. This example of the Super-Elliptical with a beautiful top made of walnut wi...
Beech
$4,774 / set
H 18.71 in W 21.46 in D 29.53 in
Scandinavian modern coffee tables 'Annika' by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden, 1950s
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
Beautiful set of coffee tables or nesting tables designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson, Sweden, during the 1950s. Elegant design. Curly birch top with beautiful cond...
Beech, Birch
$9,500
H 28 in W 36 in D 9 in
Danish Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Gate Leg Maria Dining Table Bruno Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Folding rosewood Maria banket gate leg dining table by Bruno Mathsson. Fully extended measures 110" long.
Rosewood
Sold
H 28.5 in W 110 in L 28.5 in
Modern Drop-Leaf Teak "Maria" Dining Table by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson
By Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Houston, TX
Original Mid-Century Modern "Maria" teak drop-leaf dining table designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson in 1961.
Beech, Teak
DUX Round Travertine Coffee Table
By Dux of Sweden, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Houston, TX
Beautiful round coffee table by DUX attributed to Bruno Mathsson. Travertine top has a beautiful grain. Sculptural walnut base with X-stretcher. Tapered legs are capped in brass. Exc...
Travertine, Brass