Sweden
Circa 1917
Birch, burled oak, elm
34 3/8″ wide x 22 1/2″ deep x 28″ high

Carl Malmsten was one of the most talented and prolific of the Scandinavian designers of the 20th century. He rejected the dehumanizing elements of Functionalism in favor of a considered approach to traditional Swedish craftsmanship and form. He believed that furniture should be of the highest quality, whether it was simple and rustic or elegantly inlaid with exotic woods, as this one attests.

In 1915, he won a competition to design furniture for the Stockholm City Hall, a pivotal moment in his career. By 1917, the year he made this graceful side table, his designs were exhibited alongside those of the great Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Uno Åhrén at the seminal exhibition, Hemutställningen Liljevalchs.

His devotion to craftsmanship is evident here, from the fine veneer inlay to the shapely apron and the long, tapering legs. Inlaid with a crest depicting a lion with sword and the letters “EJ”, this table would have been a custom commission. Stamped CM.