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Price category: 500 - 2,500 usd / eur

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This immediately recognizable model, the “T118” is a Danish modern classic with a glass top and a solid, sculptural wood base. Designed by Illum Wikkelsø, this table always makes a lasting impression in any interior.

The form has an inherently organic impression, which comes naturally for most mid-century modern Danish pieces, where drawing inspiration from natural, organic form is quintessential. Wikkelsø worked with clean lines, but he also had a strong sense of organic expression and was deeply inspired by nature – especially the Danish landscape. He aimed to capture the beauty he saw in the environment around him in his furniture designs. In the case of this coffee table, the base - traditionally made of teak - consists of two ‘X’ shaped pieces joined together in the middle. Both the top and bottom parts are made from separate wood pieces resulting in a diverse pattern and grain. The circular glass top was designed to showcase the base even from the top view, which shows that it was always meant to be the focus of the design. This table’s design is entirely based on Wikkelsø’s artisanship, which hails from a generation of cabinetmakers, upholsterers and furniture producers established before the 1950s. This heritage shines through this coffee table with a creative design that doesn’t compromise on quality.

Translating it into furniture that closely embraces the human figure while remaining steadfast and durable. With his clear design aesthetic and deep understanding of materials, Illum Wikkelsø was one of the key protagonists to make Danish design style an international phenomenon.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some scratches and marks on the glass.

Dimensions:

41.33 in ⌀ x 17.71 in H

105 cm ⌀ x 45 cm H

About the designer:

Kristian Illum Wikkelsø (1919-1999), by his full name, is best known for his seating designs. Like most Danish designers at the time, Wikkelsø trained as a carpenter until 1938 and then followed in the footsteps of many of his later colleagues and continued his studies at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts, graduating on 1941.

In 1944, Wikkelsø moved to Århus to work as an interior designer He was then employed at the carpentry master and architect Jacob Kjær's drawing room and then at Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Nielsen’s architectural firm, where he worked until 1954. The same year, Illum Wikkelsø began designing his own furniture and a few years later, he established his own workshop. A number of Danish manufacturers produced Wikkelsø’s designs, such as C.F. Christensen, Holger Christiansen and Søren Willadsen.

Like many of his Danish contemporaries, including Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, and Hans Wegner, Wikkelsø’s designs emphasize formal simplicity and biomorphic silhouettes. Wikkelsø’s background in cabinetry engendered in him a profound understanding of materials and an excellent attention to detail. Working with teak and rosewood, he captured delicately sculptural forms. Wikkelsø believed that furniture should be built to last while cradling the body and pleasing the eye.

Though little biographical information survives, the quality of Illum Wikkelsø’s designs affirms his status as an active proponent of Scandinavian modernism in the post-war era. ~H.