Teak Bowfront Highboy Chest by Kai Kristiansen

A mid-century Danish bowfront highboy in teak, designed by Kai Kristiansen, offered by Snowdrift Antiques.
 
Kai Kristiansen has designed and produced furniture since the early 1950’s. When Danish designers are spoken of, Kai Kristiansen is rarely one of the first to be mentioned. This is because 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. The curved front of this highboy is a perfect example of this. His designs were produced by well-known Danish manufacturers, such as Feldballes Møbelfabrik, Fornem Møbelkunst, Fritz Hansen, Vildbjerg Møbelfabrik and Magnus Olesen. 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 received furniture design awards over several decades. He is still active in the furniture design and consultation business, which is a great thing. After a brief retirement, he returned to design in 2008. Today in his 90s, he continues to work on new designs and revisiting his earlier models. 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.
 
This piece is his six drawer bowfront highboy chest.  It was made in Denmark in the 1960s. Each drawer has a curved front and his classic teak “eyelid pulls”.  The matching teak grain up and down the drawer fronts give a beautiful flow to the front of the piece. The side pieces have rich grain and color. The drawers are maple and beautifully finished inside. Of course, the drawers are constructed with dovetail joints. The top drawer locks with the original key to keep your valuables safe. Round tapered legs, 9” long, complete the classic Danish style of the piece. 
 
This piece measures 29 ½” wide by 16“ deep and stands 43 ½“ tall.
 
This chest is in excellent vintage condition. I find no rings or spots to the teak on top.  There are no chips or repairs to the teak veneer.  All of the drawers slide smoothly. It has been well cared for. It has been oiled lightly to relieve it from the Colorado dryness. 
 
This is a classic Danish piece by a renowned designer, perfect for a mid-century bedroom.