Norwegian Wood and Papercord Rocking Chairs by Slåke Møbelfabrikk, Norway 1940s (sold)

Norwegian Wood and Papercord Rocking Chairs by Slåke Møbelfabrikk, Norway 1940s (sold)

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Slåke has produced furniture since 1938. The work has always been based on good craftsmanship and solid furniture traditions. Since the beginning, it has been important to the manufactory that both function and form are taken care of. What they make “must be good to look at, touch, and sit on.”

With elaborate structures, traditional techniques and materials, these rocking chairs can only be described as beautiful both in terms of aesthetic quality and craftsmanship wise. The solid wooden structures have the classic rocking chair look with additional elements supporting stability, including the box stretchers with interlocking joints and the supporters connecting the rockers to the elongated back legs. The latter ensures the strongly inclined position of the backs. When thinking about heirloom quality furniture, the materials used are as essential as the design itself. One material that is often vastly underrated is papercord. Noteworthy for its durability, this material is also beloved for its functional and aesthetic qualities. Each rocking chair has two woven panels of twisted papercord, one comprising the seat, and one the back. Since they are woven across an open wood frame, the panels are exceptionally comfortable, able to stretch slightly to accommodate the sitter. Papercord became perhaps the most distinctive and, for some people, the type of seat most closely associated with chairs from the Scandinavian mid-century modern period. As rocking chairs, these models have an equally arresting level of craftsmanship. The rocker rails have a smooth curve that stands out against the mostly straight lines. The wood’s rich colour complements the papercord well, and together they fit with almost any colour palette.

While they play a prominent role in both architecture and pop culture, rocking chairs solidified their place in Scandinavian design history as well. As these Norwegian models prove, functionality can manifest in many forms, but it is always accompanied by quality and a great aesthetic quality in Scandinavian design.