Rare desk in rosewood (model NV-50) by Finn Juhl
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Rare desk in rosewood (model NV-50) by Finn Juhl
About the Item
- Creator:Finn Juhl (Designer),Niels Vodder (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 79.14 in (201 cm)Depth: 38.19 in (97 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1945
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Copenhagen, DK
- Reference Number:Seller: 10552351stDibs: LU1008439501382
Finn Juhl
Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.
As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.
Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable Chieftan lounge chair, the biomorphic Baker sofa, and the Judas table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes.
As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, Finn Juhl’s furniture — as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories — has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th-century design.
Niels Vodder
One of the greatest cabinetmakers in Denmark, Niels Vodder had an illustrious career in Danish furniture. And just as like-minded duos Kaare Klint and Rudolph Rasmussen or Hans Wegner and Johannes Hansen had, Vodder — in partnership with Finn Juhl for more than 20 years — set a high standard for Scandinavian modernism.
Vodder had already established his position as an in-demand cabinetmaker by the time Juhl came into his small workshop in 1937. Juhl — a pioneer of 20th-century Danish design and a pivotal figure in the introduction of Danish modern in the United States — had often authored technically complicated designs that other woodworkers found impossible to execute. Vodder, however, would prove otherwise through his skill and ingenuity. Together, the two ushered in an era of innovative Danish design to an international audience at annual Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibitions in Copenhagen.
Some of Juhl’s most iconic lounge chairs, such as the NV 45 chair and the Chieftain chair, were first built by Vodder. Most of the seating executed by Vodder was done in teak, although some chairs were handcrafted in mahogany, rosewood and other attractive woods. The Chieftain, formally the FJ 49 A, won the Danish Design Award in the “Classic” category, while the NV 45 can be found in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Juhl’s FJ 51 chair was featured in the United Nations Trusteeship Council chamber — designing and furnishing the chamber was one of Juhl’s notable accomplishments in the early 1950s.
One of the keys to the pair’s success lay in the combination of Juhl’s self-taught approach and Vodder’s progressive outlook on his trade. The latter's workshop was modest in size and he was a pioneer with respect to the use of subcontractors in manufacturing, while Juhl had no formal training in furniture design. Juhl's early ambition was to pursue art history; instead, at his father’s request, he earned a degree in architecture. His studies and enthusiasm for art resulted in inspired pieces that were free from traditional norms, while Vodder possessed the technical prowess to refine and bring these ideas to fruition.
As Ejnar Pedersen — founder of P.P. Møbler — once said, “ (I)f we had no Niels Vodder, we would not have had the Finn Juhl we know today.” Vodder passed away in 1982.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Niels Vodder seating, tables and case pieces.
- Nv 53 Sofa by Finn JuhlBy Finn JuhlLocated in Copenhagen, DKNV 53 - 2 seater sofa in teak, and grey upholstery. Designed in 1953. Finn Juhl / Niels Vodder.Category
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- Rosewood desk by Arne JacobsenBy Arne JacobsenLocated in Copenhagen, DKDesk in rosewood with black lacquered drawers, chromed steel legs and solid rosewood shoes. Arne Jacobsen / Fritz HansenCategory
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- Rare desk in mahogany with two drawers by Vilhelm WohlertBy Arne Poulsen Cabinetmaker Denmark, Vilhelm WohlertLocated in Copenhagen, DKRare desk in mahogany with two drawers and feet. Designed in 1958 by Vilhelm Wohlert for cabinetmaker Arne Poulsen. NOTE: Restoration of the desk is included within the price.Category
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- Rosewood "Diplomat" Desk by Finn JuhlBy Finn Juhl, France & DaverkosenLocated in VANCOUVER, CARosewood Danish desk by Finn Juhl for France & Son, circa 1960's. The "Diplomat" desk provides an inviting and spacious surface for productivity. Beautiful grain patterns and sleek t...Category
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- Finn Juhl Rare Desk for Bovirke in TeakBy Finn Juhl, BovirkeLocated in Waalwijk, NLFinn Juhl for Bovirke, desk, model ‘BO 69’, teak, metal, brass, Denmark, design ca. 1953, made late 1950s Finn Juhl conceived this rare version of the desk model ‘BO 69’ in the late...Category
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- Scandinavian Modern Diplomat Desk in Rosewood by Finn Juhl For France & SonBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in Lejre, DKDiplomat desk in rosewood designed by Finn Juhl and manufactured by France & Son in the 1960s. The desk is in great vintage condition. This product will be inspected thoroughly at o...Category
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$19,800 - 1960s Finn Juhl France & Son Technocrat Desk Model 963 in Teak Made in DenmarkBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a 1960's Finn Juhl for France & Son Technocrat Desk Model 963 in Teak. Overall this item is in very good to excellent condition. The wood top is free from any major scratches, stains, or major imperfections. It has aged quite nicely and shows a gorgeous and very subtle patina. The drawers open easily and the metal finish on the legs are intact and clean. The bottom of the desk top from the ground is 26-1/2" but total clearance from the ground is 24-3/4" to the middle support beam. This piece came from a notable modern estate in Boston. It was purchased from Machine Age by the previous owner. The Eames aluminum chair...Category
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