This occasional or side table was produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in the late 1930s. Made of solid pine, the round top is resting on three cleverly constructed legs that meet up in the center. The amphora-shaped base is a reference to the neoclassical Swedish Grace movement and offers a striking contrast with the unfussy, raw, natural pine wood.
The table is in good original condition. The original finish has been refreshed, preserving the original patina which gives the pine wood its depth and warmth.
Between 1926-1938, Hjorth was the lead designer for Sweden’s Nordiska Kompaniet department store, during which he produced the sportstugemöbler series. Sportstugemöbler, meaning “sports cabin furnishings,” was a collection of wooden furniture designed for country homes. During the 1930s, a Swedish public education project advocated for healthy, active lifestyles and encouraged vacation time, which eventually lead to more Swedes having vacation homes. The various models in the sportstugemöbler series took their names from the Stockholm archipelago - Blidö, Lovö, Utö, Sandhamn, Torö, etc. The furniture itself was not elaborate and was made of strong, natural materials. In this collection, Hjorth mixed the ideals of the modernist movement with provincial Swedish traditions, producing a unique and primitive modernism.