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.
Swedish Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Karlstad, SE
Rare birch coffee or side table by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden. The slim curved legs are significant for Mathsson’s designs and add to the elegance of this table. Condition: Very good c...
Birch
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, 1976. Birch. Stamped. H: 41.5 cm Diameter: 65 cm
Birch
Occasional Table ‘Annika’ Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Occasional table ‘Annika’ designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden. 1967. Birch and Oregon pine top. Stamped. This round “Annika” oc...
Birch, Pine
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
$10,083
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
Art Deco Walnut Occasional Table, English, c1930
Located in Devon, England
1930s Art Deco walnut occasional coffee table in a mid tone honey colour. Made in England this is a lovely looking table with great design and form, is in excellent condition having ...
Walnut
“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
$1,180
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
$3,256Sale Price|61% Off
H 29.14 in W 35.44 in D 9.85 in
Maria Flap Folding Dining Table by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Introducing the Maria Flap table, a timeless creation by the esteemed designer Bruno Mathsson and expertly manufactured by Firma Karl Mathsson. This e...
Wood, Birch
$4,092
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
$4,733 / 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
$1,565Sale Price|46% Off
H 16.54 in Dm 25.6 in
“Annika” Coffee Table in Masur Birch by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden
By Dux of Sweden, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Karis, Nyland
Occasional table model "Annika" designed by Bruno Mathsson and manufactured by Dux, Sweden. Birch and Karelian birch. Dimensions: H: 42 cm / 1' 4" D: 65 cm / 2' 1''
Birch
$1,800
H 11.5 in Dm 17.75 in
1962 Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson Annika Side Table w/ 18 in. Wood Top
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Annika Side Table, initially designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson in 1936. This piece dates to 1962 and was produced in Sweden. The design features graceful ...
Birch, Burl
$1,898
H 16.34 in Dm 25.6 in
“Annika” Curly Birch Coffee Table by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden, 1960s
By Dux of Sweden, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Karis, Nyland
A round curly birch-veneered “Annika” coffee table designed by Bruno Mathsson and produced by Dux in Sweden. The table has a light, functional form with a circular top and slender, t...
Beech, Birch
$9,500
H 28.5 in W 110.5 in D 35.5 in
1960s Maria Table by Bruno Matthson for Firma Karl Mathsson, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960 Bruno Mathsson Maria folding table by Firma Karl Mathsson, Sweden. Really neat mid century table that expands from easily storable to seating double digits comfortably. Can be...
Beech, Walnut
Sold
H 18.51 in W 39.38 in D 39.38 in
Coffee Table Made In White Laminat Top By Piet Hein & Arne Jacobsen From 2018
By Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein, Arne Jacobsen
Located in Lejre, DK
This coffee table, designed collaboratively by Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, and Arne Jacobsen, is a testament to the enduring appeal of mid-century modern design principles adapted to ...
Aluminum
Sold
H 22.05 in Dm 37.41 in
Bruno Mathsson Annika Coffee Table, Made by Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1940s-1950s
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A large Bruno Mathsson circular coffee table, manufactured by Karl Mathsson, Sweden in the 1940s or 1950s with makers label attached. Birch legs and an ashwood top. Very good vintage...
Ash, Birch
Low Table by Bruno Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Lejre, DK
Low table with marble top by Bruno Mathsson. Made in Sweden circa 1965, Great original condition.
Marble
Bruno Mathsson Low Side or Magazine Table by Karl Mathsson in Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare Bruno Mathsson low side or magazine table produced by Karl Mathsson in Sweden.
Beech