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.
Wall shelves 'Mi 1050' Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson, Firma Karl 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
$122Sale Price|20% Off
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
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
Vintage Boho Original Yale Swim Team Photo
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Add a distinguished touch of collegiate history to your walls with this captivating vintage photograph of the Yale University swim team. Dating back to the early 20th century, this s...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Noah Wall Shelves (Small)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These shelves are custom made in Los Angeles. The industrial sheet metal is sheered to size, patinated and welded INDUSTRIAL STEEL PATINA + POLY FINISH CUSTOMIZE THIS PIECE For all ...
Steel
$1,898 / item
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
$6,070 / item
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
$569Sale Price|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 20.48 in D 2.76 in
Utensilo II Wall Organizer by Dorothee Maurer Becker for Design M, Germany, 1970
By M Design, Ingo Maurer, Dorothee Maurer-Becker
Located in Bingen am Rhein, RP
This original 70s Uten.Silo II is a design by Dorothee Maurer Becker. This Utensilo is an old original of the company Design M. It was still produced by the company of her husband, t...
Plastic
Pair of Blue Velvet Wall Shelves or Brackets
Located in New York, NY
Pair of blue velvet wall shelves or brackets. Handmade and covered in silk-rayon velvet. Measures: 12" x 6" x 9" H each.
Velvet, Wood
Pair of Louis XV Style Painted Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
A 20th century carved wall shelves, each with one-drawer and lovely hand painted floral detail.
Wood
Pair 19th Century Japanese Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Late 19th Century Japanese carved wood wall shelves with inlay and painted foliage motifs.
Wood
Chrome & Brass Wall Mounted Shelves
Located in Hanover, MA
Blingy and glamorous 1970s custom made wall mounted shelves consisting of chromed steel single-track shelf standard which is embedded within a chann...
Brass, Stainless Steel, Chrome
$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
$1,245
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
Early Magazine Shelf in Birch by Bruno Mathsson, Sweden
By Firma Karl Mathsson, Bruno 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