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‎Price category: 30,000 - 40,000 usd / eur

This “Utö” bench is from the Swedish designer, Axel Einar Hjorth’s Sportstugemöble furniture line.

This bench has a rather simple, yet well-thought out design. The frame is made of pine, mixing the aesthetics of rural, traditional handcraft with international modernism. Produced by AB Nordiska Kompaniet, this bench belongs to Hjorth's line of modernistic cabin furniture from the 1930's. The seat of the bench is thick and robust, with an oval shaped pine board, assuring sturdiness and stability. The symmetrically carved back with a gap in the middle offers comfort and functionality.

The four tapered legs of the bench follow the shape of the backrests on both sides, accentuating the geometrical aspect, and highlighting the symmetry of this piece.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions:

54.92 in W x 18.7 in D x 31.3 in H ; Seat height 15.55 in

139.5 cm W x 47.5 cm D x 79.5 cm H; Seat height 39.5 cm

Literature:

Christian Björk, Thomas Ekström and Eric Ericson, Axel Einar Hjorth: Möbelarkitekt, Stockholm, 2009, pp. 130, 133.
Christian Björk, Thomas Ekström and Eric Ericson, Axel Einar Hjorth: (Svenska arkitekter och formgivare), Stockholm, 2011, pp. 124, 137.

About the designer:

Hjorth’s designs, from the luxury of neo-classicism to the severity of functionalism, are sharply distinctive in style, materials, and character. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Hjorth did not conform to the socially oriented ideas produced by Svensk Form (the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design). He often incorporated playful ornamentation from different historical periods by which he was inspired, such as the French Art Déco which was characterised by the use of mixed exotic woods, bright colors, and textiles.

In the 1930s, Hjorth designed a furniture collection out of pine meant for serial production known as Sportstugemöbler: ‘furniture for holiday houses’. The collection is based on Swedish rural traditions mixed with international modernism, and had its pieces named after Stockholm's archipelago islands including Blidö, Sandhamn, Toro and Lovö. The pieces are well renowned for being very modern and displaying strong proportions, simplicity in construction, and a brilliant union between tradition and modernism. ~H.