Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13

Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke Organic Design Coffee Table

About the Item

Boat-shaped coffee table with beveled edges in silvered walnut by the team of German-born American architects Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke, designed for the Museum of Modern Art's 1941 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition, and produced in very small numbers by Red Lion Furniture of Pennsylvania. Per the MoMA catalog, “a design may be called organic when there is an harmonious organization of the parts within the whole, according to structure, material, and purpose. Within this definition there can be no vain ornamentation or superfluity, but the part of beauty is none the less great—in ideal choice of material, in visual refinement, and in the rational elegance of things internded for use.” The suite of furnishings designed by Stonorov and von Moltke---including a vanity, coffee table, dining set, bed, nightstand, and case pieces--won honorable mention at the seminal competition and received a preferred placement at the MoMA exhibition itself. The winning entries in the competition, which included the iconic seating and unit furniture by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, were showcased at eleven department stores across the country--notably Bloomingdale's and Kaufmann's--and were intended for serial production, but America's entry into WWII a month after the opening of the exhibition, along with higher than expected price points across the board meant that few pieces were actually made outside the ones initially sent to the participating department stores. This was especially true for the Stonorov and von Moltke suite, which wound up being among the most expensive items at the show due to the quality of materials and construction. Stonorov, the senior member of the team, apprenticed with the sculptor Aristide Maillol and the architect Andre Lurcat in Europe before emigrating to America in 1929. Ref: Organic Design in Home Furnishings, Noyes, pp. 22-25. See also the MoMA installation photo below.
  • Creator:
    Red Lion Furniture (Manufacturer),Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 19 in (48.26 cm)Width: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Depth: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
  • Style:
    Organic Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Walnut,Silvered
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1941
  • Condition:
    Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Sanding and clear coating to the top; polishing and clear coating to the base. Faint ring mark to the top.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU828521006362

More From This Seller

View All
Hatfield/Craig Organic Design Chair
By Ann Hatfield and Martin Craig
Located in New York, NY
Chair with tilting seat back in solid birch with a vintage seat cushion fabric. A winning entry by Ann Hatfield and Martin Craig in the seminal MoMA 1941...
Category

Vintage 1940s American Organic Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs

Materials

Birch

Bertha Schaefer Brass and Glass Cocktail Table for M. Singer and Sons
By Bertha Schaefer, M. Singer & Sons
Located in New York, NY
Spare and architectonic brass cocktail table with gently sinuous curves and original glass top. A Bertha Schaefer design for M. Singer and Sons, circa 1954. Rare to the market. Docum...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Brass

Gary Gutterman Sculptural Cocktail Table in Steel and Glass
By Gary Gutterman
Located in New York, NY
“Jason” cocktail table in stainless steel and glass by New York City designer and interior decorator Gary Gutterman. An exceptionally well-executed continuous form with the unusual f...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Steel

Laverne Originals Cocktail Table
By Laverne International, Douglas Kelly, Ross Littell and William Katavolos
Located in New York, NY
Rectangular cocktail table of chromed steel and glass by architects William Katavolos, Ross Littell, and Douglas Kelley. A relatively rare offering from Laverne Originals, circa 1958. Ref: Mobili Tipo...
Category

Vintage 1950s American International Style Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Steel

Tepper-Meyer Versi-Table
By Gene Tepper
Located in New York, NY
Up-and-down "Versitable" by Tepper-Meyer Associates of San Francisco, produced by Fred Meyer circa 1954. The two-position design can function as a dining or writing table in the high...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Steel

Architectonic Cut Plywood Midcentury Cocktail Table
By Nathan Lerner
Located in New York, NY
Rectangular cocktail table of cut laminated plywood with solid wood supports. A well-constructed circa 1940s design with an architectural bearing, likely a one-off commission. The top sits within two lateral struts, giving the appearance of bridge architecture. . A design in the manner of Nathan Lerner...
Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Plywood, Wood

You May Also Like

Menhir organic design Coffee Table, customisable design by Toad Gallery London
Located in London, GB
A homage to ‘Single Form’ a work by artist Barbara Hepworth and named after monumental standing stones, typically dating from the European middle Bronz...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Travertine, Marble, Steel, Chrome

Modern Organic Coffee Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
An artistic expression of modern elegance, this cocktail table adds interest and fluidity to living interiors. Its sleek design is comprised of an asymmetrical top crafted from radia...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Organic Modern Coffee and Cockt...

Materials

Stone

Organic Natural Coffee Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
Organic natural coffee table with mango wood in our sienna finish, with bold, turned and tapered legs. Dimensions: 39" W x 39" D x 18" H.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail T...

Materials

Wood

Danish Minimalist Coffee Table in Solid Oregon Pine. Design Friis & Moltke 1970s
By Knud Friis & Elmar Moltke Nielsen
Located in Ystad, SE
Elegant Danish 1970s minimalist coffee table in solid Oregon pine. Designed by the Iconic Danish architect duo Knud Friis & Elmar Moltke Nielsen, known for their Nordic, soft and or...
Category

Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Pine

Black Oak cloud freeform organic modern coffee table, minimalist design
By Last Workshop
Located in Chicago, IL
An asymmetrical freeform coffee table. Designed and made by Last Workshop. Standard "large" size pictured here is 50" x 58" x 12.5"H (table top), 14" overall height Other dimension...
Category

2010s American Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Oak

Sculptural Organic Shape Travertine Coffee Table by My Habitat Design
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Crafted from a single material, this coffee table features a 4 cm thick top with a soft bullnose edge, supported by two sculpted, organic legs that give it a grounded yet fluid prese...
Category

2010s Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Marble, Travertine

Recently Viewed

View All