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.
Original Photo of furniture by Bruno Mathsson / Sweden - 1945
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, 1952 - Museum of decorative Arts in Czech republic - suitable for framing - photographed by Illek and Paul jr
Paper
Wall shelves 'Mi 1050' Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Model Mi 1050 is a wall-mounted shelving system designed by Bruno Mathsson and produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo during the 1960s. Crafted in birch and pine, the system is defined...
Steel
A Pair of Carved Gilt Wood Wall Shelves
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of giltwood wheat motif wall shelves, Italy, mid 20th Century, the good size measuring 15 inches high, 12.5 inches wide, and 6 iches deep.
Giltwood
$1,518Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 3.15 in Dm 21.66 in
Tableau Wall Decoration Shelf Designed by Sara Ferrari for Mingardo
By Mingardo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tableau is a functional painting, a wall decoration designed to frame everyday objects. Materials: Iron with brassed details Dimensions: Ø 55 cm.
Brass, Iron
3 Damascus Mother of Pearl Inlaid Wall Shelves
Located in Dallas, TX
Group of three Damascus mother of pearl inlaid wooden wall shelves. The intricately carved wood of each is inlaid with designs in mother of pearl w...
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
$4,856Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 48.8 in W 59 in D 11 in
"Correas" Wall Mounted Bookshelf Designed by Miguel Mila' for Dessie'
By Miguel Milà, Dessie Studio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Correas" is a wall mounted bookshelf, designed by Miguel Mila' and manufactured by Dessie', featuring 3 or 4 shelves, fixed to two or three uprig...
Stainless Steel
Pair Early 20th Century Moroccan Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Pair 1920s or earlier Moroccan wood inlay wall shelves. These wonderful Múdejar design shelves feature abstract geometry, horseshoe, multifoil arches, and honeycombed vaults called m...
Wood
$280Sale Price|20% Off
H 11 in W 14 in D 0.5 in
Vintage 1950s Male Original Nude Photo of Brothers Playing Records
By Bruce of Los Angeles
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A rare original b & w photograph of 2 brothers listening to records on the floor nude. Many decades ago we saw a second image from this series and it was listed as the models were brothers. Listening to Les Baxter and Dinah Washington albums! Mid 1950s. I believe the photo to be an “Athletic Model Guild” photo, a competitor of the equally famous, Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of Los Angeles. The 8x10 photograph has a 11x14 white acid free matt. Ready for framing. If you would like this framed for a gift, we can frame it in a simple black frame for $100. Without a frame, it is easy to be shipped UPS. Makes a great gift for collectors of Male Nude and Beefcake Physique photography. These high quality originals are very difficult to come by. They are NOT computer generated...
Paper
Vintage Maple Hanging Wall Shelves
Located in Germantown, MD
Americsn Vintage Maple hanging wall shelves in good co dition measuring 30"W x 7"D x 27"H. Use in the kitchen, bathroom or garage as an extra org...
Maple
Pair Italian Giltwood Eagle Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Elevate your decor with a stunning pair of Italian carved giltwood eagle wall sconces or shelves. Meticulously crafted, these majestic eagles showcase intri...
Wood
$1,275
H 8.27 in W 11.82 in D 0.2 in
Original Photo Signed by the Provocative Japanese Photographer Nobuyoshi Araki
By Nobuyoshi Araki
Located in Sofia, BG
Black and white original gelatin silver print signed by the Japanese photographer, Nobuyoshi Araki, who is primarily known for his provocative images that combine fine art and photog...
Paper
Original Photo of "El Santo" a Famous Mexican Wrestler
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1970, We offer this Original Photo of "El Santo" a famous Mexican Wrestler. Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (23 September 1917 – 5 February 1984), known profes...
Paper
$600Sale Price|20% Off
H 19 in W 16.5 in D 1.25 in
Bruce of LA Original 1950s Male Physique Photo Model Barry Adkins
By Bruce Bellas, Bruce of Los Angeles
Located in Palm Springs, CA
From a important 25 plus years collection of Male Physique and Beefcake Photography, Image # 8 of male model Barry Adkins. Printed in the 1960s and are all signed by the studio when Mr. Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of LA was alive. Beautifully, professionally framed. Double white mat and simple black frame. All orig photos are 8 x 10. Framed: 16.50" W x 19" H. Other images from this L.A gallery show on separate listings... please check often while we list more every week. These photographs are very hard to shoot under glass. They are sharp, clear photographs printed the old fashioned way, by hand in the late 50s and early 60s. BIO: Bruce Harry Bellas (July 7, 1909 – July 1974) was an American photographer. He was influential in his work with male physiques and nudes. Bellas was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles. History and influence: Bruce Harry Bellas was born in Alliance, Nebraska on July 7, 1909. He worked as a chemistry teacher there until 1947, when he began photographing bodybuilders in Los Angeles, California, beginning with taking pictures of bodybuilding competitions. In 1956, Bellas launched his own magazine, The Male Figure. Among physique photographers, Bellas' work was noted for having a distinctly campy, tongue-in-cheek sensibility. Bellas also produced a number of early homoerotic 8 mm films with titles such as Cowboy Washup and Big Gun for Hire. Bellas was known to travel around the country, finding new models to photograph and also personally delivering nude photographs to customers, since they were liable to be seized by postal inspectors if sent through the mail. An extensive archive of Bellas' nude male physique...
Other
Pair Florentine Giltwood Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 1950s Florentine giltwood wall shelves featuring foliage motifs.
Giltwood
Early Magazine Shelf in Birch by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson, Firma Karl Mathsson
Located in Goteborg, SE
Together with Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson was the first Scandinavian designer to use bentwood technique. During the early period of his production the only way to buy his furniture was to call or write a personal letter directly to his company. This rare and early shelf...
Birch