Mid-Century Teak Desk and Chair by Sven Madsen and Kai Kristiansen
What a combination we have here. A teak desk and chair, each designed by one of the top Danish designers of the 1950s and 1960s.
The desk was designed by Svend Åge Madsen (often written “Aage” outside of Nordic countries) for the Danish furniture company Sigurd Hansen Møbelfabrik. He was a Danish architect. His name is well known to collectors of Scandinavian furniture, but there is very little biographical information about him and he is generally believed to still be alive. He was active in the late 1950s and 1960s. Furniture using his designs was produced by the high end Danish workshops and factories of H.P Hansen, Sigurd Hansen, K. Knudsen & Son, Karl Lindegaard, Allesø, Falster and NB.
This desk has classic Madsen lines with its curved top edges, tapered legs, integrated drawer pulls and arched knee space. The desk features three drawers on each side. The top right one can be locked with the original key, which not a common item to find with these desks. This desk has the elusive built in shelf/bookcase on the side opposite the chair opening. This feature is highly prized in Danish teak desks. On the side of one drawer is the “Danish Furnituremakers Control” mark. Underneath all drawers is the Sigurd Hansen mark with Madsen identified as the “architect”. This desk is probably from the very early 1960s. It should be noted the inside drawer bottoms have been adorned with very colorful vintage contact paper, which I personally love. Rather than remove it, I will leave that decision to the next owner.
The desk measures 57” x 24 x 29 high. It is in excellent vintage condition. The teak has been oiled lightly to relieve it from the Colorado dryness and it glows with excellent color and grain. The desktop is in remarkable shape with no rings, scratches or marks of note. It was well taken care of.
The chair is a work of art designed by Kai Kristiansen for Jorg Stole, a Danish furniture company of the early 1950s through the 1960s. Kai Kristiansen has designed and produced furniture since the early 1950s. When Danish designers are spoken of, Kai Kristiansen is rarely one of the first to be mentioned. The reason for this is in the 1950s and early 1960s when he was creating his beautiful pieces, mass production of furniture was in full swing in Denmark, with the more famous designers producing many more pieces. Kai Kristiansen's designs were a struggle for the manufacturers to make in large quantities because his attention to detail did not easily lend itself to this method of production. The immaculate joints, no extraneous pieces and design details that he demanded be just so, required a more hands-on, low inventory number production method. His pieces are a rare and exciting find.
Born in 1929 in Denmark, he was an early student at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He has been awarded furniture design awards over several decades. He is still active in the furniture design and consultation business, which is a great thing. I go into this detail because if you are considering spending considerable money on his designs, you should know who he is and why he is important.
An example of Kristiansen’s precise joint work can be seen in image 9. This is the type of work that cannot be produced by a machine. This chair is the essence of Kristiansen’s flowing lines, curved back and precise detail. The seat has its original black vinyl upholstery as well as the “Jorg Stole” mark underneath. It is as pleasing to sit in as it is to look at. This piece is probably from the mid to late 1950s.
This chair is in excellent vintage condition. It was also oiled lightly to allow the teak to glow. It has no standout signs of wear and the seat upholstery is pristine. It too, was well taken care of.
This desk and chair pairing comes from two designers who represent the best and highest quality the Danish mid-century modern period had to offer. These two pieces have been together basically their entire lives.
It can be seen and purchased at ...
The Antique Exchange
1500 South Broadway
Denver, CO
Questions about or to purchase contact me at...
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