Pewter Tray from Svenskt Tenn
View Similar Items
Pewter Tray from Svenskt Tenn
About the Item
- Creator:Svenskt Tenn (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.19 in (3 cm)Width: 16.54 in (42 cm)Depth: 9.06 in (23 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1928
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1638225608262
Svenskt Tenn
Today, the name Svenskt Tenn is associated around the world with the vibrant, modernist textiles and furniture of Josef Frank, who was the Swedish company’s chief designer in the mid-20th century. But the term “svenskt tenn” actually means “Swedish pewter,” and the very first goods the company sold were stylish pewter objects, such as an elegant 1927 candelabra found in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum, or a sleek, understated mirror in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts. These pieces were designed to appeal to discerning but price-conscious shoppers in 1920s-era Stockholm.
Art teacher and interior designer Estrid Ericson (1894–1981) partnered with pewter artisan Nils Fougstedt (1881–1954) to establish Svenskt Tenn in 1924, and their creations quickly gained a reputation for high quality and affordability, winning a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 — the design fair that brought global attention to the Art Deco style.
The experience of renovating her own apartment in the 1920s exposed Ericson to Swedish functionalism — or funkis, as it was known in Sweden — a branch of modernism that advocated uncomplicated forms, subdued colors and utility. She was inspired to open an interior design department at Svenskt Tenn, and in 1930 the firm introduced its first line of furniture.
Selections included items produced by the companies Gemla and Bodafors, as well as original designs by Ericson and the architects Uno Åhrén and Björn Trägårdh, who had worked together on the redesign and expansion of the showroom. The trio’s furniture was displayed at Stockholm’s Galleri Modern in 1931, where it was met with praise from critic Gotthard Johansson, a leading proponent of Swedish functionalism. Johansson admired the “pure lines” and “modern austerity” of the furniture, establishing Svenskt Tenn as an important voice in Swedish design.
But the signature partnership that would come to define the look of Svenskt Tenn was in part the result of political turmoil and the emergence of Nazism in Europe. When Josef Frank fled Vienna for Stockholm in 1933, he was already an accomplished architect who questioned modernist orthodoxy in design. He disliked tubular steel furniture and believed that monochromatic surfaces were distressing to viewers, while pattern and ornament gave interiors a sense of warmth and calm. Ericson was an admirer of Frank’s work, and offered him the chance to design products for Svenskt Tenn. Their professional partnership, particularly in textile design, would eventually become one of the hallmarks of Swedish modernism.
Frank and Ericson collaborated from 1934 until Frank’s death in 1967, with Frank creating unmistakable, bold designs and Ericson employing her flair for interiors, merchandising and display. The pair called their shared approach “Accidentism” or “The Happy Chances Philosophy,” mixing and matching the new and antique, the serious with the playful and pattern with solid colors to find eclectic new combinations in their showroom.
Frank’s textiles are like a visual catalogue of exotic plants and flowers, geological formations and maps, inspired in part by Ericson’s world travels and by Frank’s love of folk art. Svenskt Tenn continues to sell fabric, wallpaper and household goods, many of which sport variations of Frank's signature botanical motifs. Antique and vintage Svenskt Tenn pewter, lighting, furniture, textiles and decorative objects are generally priced anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000 depending on scale and condition.
The tenets of Scandinavian modernism are as fresh and relevant now as they were in the 1950s — light-filled and airy rooms with white walls are perfect settings for comfortable furniture upholstered in one of Josef Frank’s indelible patterns, and nearly a century since its founding, the signature aesthetic of Svenskt Tenn remains as distinctive and timeless as ever.
Find antique and vintage Svenskt Tenn mirrors, seating, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Pewter Wall Mirror by Thorwald Alef, Svenskt TennBy Thorwald Alef, Svenskt TennLocated in Stockholm, SEStunning wall mirror by Thorwald Alef, made in pewter. The design is called “Amors spratt” (“Cupid’s Trick”). The top is adorned with a reclining woman with a naughty-looking Cupid o...Category
Vintage 1920s Scandinavian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsPewter
- Pewter Jar by Estrid Ericson, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1959By Svenskt Tenn, Estrid EricsonLocated in Stockholm, SELovely pewter jar by Estrid Ericson, in a cylinder form. Brass rims around the edges, adorned with an elevated, green agate stone in a knob form.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPewter
- Pewter Jar by Anna Petrus, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1931By Anna Petrus, Svenskt TennLocated in Stockholm, SEAmazing pewter jar by Anna Petrus, with a line of brass encircling the base and lid. Expressive lion on the lid, body decorated with a graphic pattern.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Jars
MaterialsBrass, Pewter
- Midcentury Scandinavian Pewter jar by Estrid Ericson, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1967By Svenskt Tenn, Estrid EricsonLocated in Stockholm, SELovely pewter jar by Estrid Ericson, in a sleek form adorned with a brass bow on the lid.Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Jars
MaterialsBrass, Pewter
- Pewter Jar Depicting Pan by Nils Fougstedt for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1944By Svenskt Tenn, Nils FougstedtLocated in Stockholm, SEAmazing pewter jar by Nils Fougstedt, adorned with a flute playing, crosslegged Pan figurine. The tiny flute is made from brass. Beautifully sculpted figu...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Jars
MaterialsPewter
- Midcentury stool by Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950sBy Josef Frank, Svenskt TennLocated in Stockholm, SENeat stool by Josef Frank, made from mahogany with elegantly sculpted feet. Rattan seat in a densely wreathed pattern.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsRattan, Wood
- Elegant Tray in pewter from Firma Svenskt Tenn in Art Deco from 1934By Svenskt TennLocated in Knivsta, SEElegant Tray in pewter from Sweden’s most famous Design Company Firma Svenskt Tenn. Art Deco. This tray is from the year 1934 (H8). Simple beauty with only a stripe as decoration. W...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPewter
- Firma Svenskt Tenn Set of Six Pewter Charger Plates, Sweden, 1968By Estrid Ericson, Svenskt TennLocated in Odense, DKWonderful set of six original charger plates manufactured at Firma Svenskt Tenn in the 1968. Made of beautifully patinated pewter. Great quality. All signed and marked with the "Ängl...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPewter
- Vintage Swedish Midcentury Trays by Josef Frank for Svenskt TennBy Josef Frank, Svenskt TennLocated in San Diego, CAA set of three vintage serving trays by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn. Sweden, 1960s Classic textile design by Josef Frank over molded plywood tray...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Vintage Konge-Tinn Pewter Flatware from NorwayBy Fjord FiestaLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful set of 4, original-boxed, serving and entertaining flatware from Konge-Tinn. This “Royal Pewter” set includes the well cataloged pattern on utensi...Category
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Brutalist Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPewter
- Octagonal Faux Tortoise Lucite Tray from France (Diameter 18 1/2)Located in Austin, TXA fine large French recessed octagonal serving tray from the Mid-Century Modern period, of acrylic Lucite with a faux tortoiseshell (tortoise) pattern and gilded brass trim. Two a...Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Original Serving Tray "Buffet PLM Paris" From Le Train BleuLocated in Sheffield, MAServing tray from "Buffet PLM Paris.", the famous Train Bleu restaurant built to celebrate the Universal Exhibition in 1900 by the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean (PLM) Company. Originally called, “Buffet de la Gare de Lyon...Category
20th Century French Platters and Serveware
MaterialsMetal
$680 Sale Price20% Off