1960's Danish Rosewood Coffee Table, Grete Jalk For France & Son

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1960's Danish Rosewood Coffee Table, Grete Jalk For France & Son

About the Item

Beautiful and extremely rare rosewood coffee table designed by Grete Jalk for France & Son in the 1960s. About the Designer Grete Jalk Recognized as an important Danish modernist designer—working at a time when women were a rarity in the design world—Grete Juel Jalk was born in Copenhagen in 1920. She trained in cabinetmaking at Copenhagen's Design School for Women between 1940 and 1942; she went on to complete her education at the Danish Royal Academy under highly influential designer Kaare Klint. In 1946, she won first prize at the annual Cabinetmaker's Guild Competition; five years later, she received wide acclaim for her designs exhibited at the 1951 Milan Triennale. Around 1953, Jalk opened her own studio and began to develop furniture designs for some of the best known Danish manufacturers, like Poul Jeppesen, Fritz Hansen, Glostrup, and France & Søn. Inspired by the Eameses' and Aaltos' organic, molded furniture, Jalk continuously experimented with new materials and production techniques. Her iconic GJ Chair—also known as the Shell Chair—for Poul Jeppesen (1963) is a staggering example of postwar design innovation. This teak-veneered, molded plywood piece features a distinct origami-like shape achieved through an intricate bending and laminating process; the complexity of the fabrication in those early years limited its manufacture to only a few hundred. Nevertheless, it was snapped up by New York's Museum of Modern Art the year of its release. In 2009, the GJ Chair went back into production with Danish manufacturer Lange, and, unsurprisingly, the original midcentury editions remain highly sought after on the secondary market. Jalk is known for her thoughtful designs that are well adapted to users' needs and that embrace societal and technological progress. Through her long career, she gained a reputation in both Denmark and abroad for designs that are economical—both in terms of material and cost—and ideal for the evolving, modern home. In 1947, she created a “self-supporting women’s den” for single, working women, which included an all-in-one sofa bed, storage space, and desk. Her Watch and Listen Unit (1963) was intended to store and display—as opposed to hide—television sets, record players, and stereo systems. Her storage units, coffee tables, and cabinets are typically designed to serve many purposes, just like the multifunctional living rooms in which they were intended. Her minimalist sofas and lounge chairs feature clear yet comfortable forms—perfect for cost-effective mass production. Beyond her design work, Jalk edited the design magazine Mobilia (1956-62 and 1968-74), as well as the encyclopaedic, four-volume book, Forty Years of Danish Furniture Design (1987). In 1974, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned Grete Jalk to curate a traveling exhibition on Danish design. Her foldable exhibition space was a huge success in 25 regions. She contributed immeasurably to the international reputation of Danish design, and her work can be found in private and public collections around the world. Jalk passed away in 2006

Creator:
Grete Jalk (Designer)
Design:
GJ TableGJ Series
Dimensions:
Height: 21.26 in (54 cm)Width: 59.06 in (150 cm)Depth: 25.99 in (66 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Rosewood
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960
Condition:
Refinished.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5317236453012

Shop All Grete Jalk

Grete Jalk

What would the reputation of mid-century Danish furniture be without legendary female designer Grete Jalk? A pioneer of Scandinavian modernism, Jalk sought to craft furniture that was both cost-efficient and high in quality, each piece made for the evolving interiors and design sensibilities of the day. She continues to be celebrated for her sleek and minimal armchairs, lounge chairs, coffee tables and more.

Jalk was born in 1920 in Copenhagen. She studied at the Drawing and Applied Art School for Women before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where famed designer Kaare Klint was among her instructors. Jalk completed her studies in 1946 and began a cabinetmaker apprenticeship. That same year, she won an award at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild competition. Jalk also participated in the 1951 Milan Triennial exhibition, where her designs earned more acclaim and attention.

In 1954, Jalk opened her own design studio and began working with major Danish furniture manufacturers like Fritz Hansen and Glostrup Møbelfabrik. She found inspiration in plywood experiments carried out by Alvar Aalto and Ray and Charles Eames, and she quickly became known for her pared-back, expressive designs, which touted fluid forms and were made of alluring woods such as teak and rosewood.

Jalk’s best-known work is the 1963 GJ chair, a collaboration with cabinetmaker Poul Jeppesen that won first place in the Daily Mail International Furniture Competition. Made of two pieces of molded teak plywood, the sculptural GJ lounge chair is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

While creating her iconic furniture designs, Jalk wore many other hats. She taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as an editor of the Danish design magazine Mobilia from 1956–62 and 1968–74. In 1974, Jalk curated a traveling design exhibition for the Danish Foreign Ministry and was named a member of the Danish Design Council in 1981. She was also the editor of 40 Years of Danish Furniture Design: The Copenhagen Cabinet-makers' Guild Exhibitions 1927–1966, published in 1987.

Jalk passed away in 2006 at the age of 86. In 2008, Danish furniture manufacturer Lange Production was granted exclusive rights to reproduce the GJ chair, a design as fresh and original today as ever.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Grete Jalk seating, tables and storage pieces.