Mid-Century Modern Table with Cross Stretchers, Europe ca 1950s (sold)

Mid-Century Modern Table with Cross Stretchers, Europe ca 1950s (sold)

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Upon hearing the words “Mid-Century Modern”, many people conjure up images of sleek furniture from the 1950s and 1960s. In reality, the style is not simply an exercise in nostalgia, it is this coffee table: uncluttered, timeless, organic, with impeccable quality of material and craftsmanship.

Thanks in great part to an early emphasis on wood and a theoretical resistance to certain modernist currents by influential designers, mid-century modern furniture design in much of Europe has avoided associations with cold industrialization and machine aesthetics. The era’s designers’ predilection for curvilinear shapes and certain woods, often oak, is evident in this coffee table’s sinuous circular top and solid wood body. Since mid-century modern designs are first and foremost utilitarian objects, this table’s form follows function, with a sizeable top and a structure that assures stability. This solid wood coffee table is striking in balancing large volumes with clean geometrical lines. The legs are straight with cross stretchers connecting them. The stretchers are joined to the legs with mortise and tenon joints that are visually stunning and enhance the organic look. The cross pattern also appears on the top in its raw, almost brutalist form. The stretchers’ dual-purpose (aesthetic and functional) shows why European cabinetmakers and their designs are some of the most thoughtful pieces of furniture in existence.

The organic design serves the purpose of showing the understated beauty of natural materials and their endless possibilities under the hands of an expert craftsman. The wood has aged beautifully and displays a beautiful grain within the wood. This table has a startling rawness, but with its warm-toned, hand carved body, it is a greatly-balanced piece.

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