Charred Triangular Nesting Tables, Europe ca 1970s

Stools have been steadily increasing in popularity thanks to a number of reasons, the most obvious being their space-saving functionality. Stools can be used in any space to provide an easily moved alternative to more cumbersome furniture. However, thanks to their versatility, they can provide a lot of visual interest. European mid-century design is generally characterized by a minimal, clean approach that seeks to combine functionality with beauty. With its focus is on simple lines and light spaces, this stool is devoid of clutter. Standing on four straight legs, the sole decorative element is the split seat...

Sauna stools have been in use for centuries, predominantly in Japan and in Finland. While this form of furniture is mostly a utilitarian object, vintage sauna stools - like this set of four - from these countries are artisanal, beautiful pieces. From Antti Nurmesniemi’s sauna stool (which is part of the MoMA’s collection) to the Japanese Hinoki stools, these vintage wooden pieces are perhaps even more treasured today than in the 50s. Sauna stools are traditionally used as a perch while washing up in the bathhouse before entering the soaking tub. They also make good shower stools or bath-side caddies also because the woods used - pine in this case - are naturally bacteria- and mildew-resistant and withstand humidity well. Stools traditionally have a simple, functional construction, however, these Finnish stools have elaborately carved tops that move beyond the strictly functional role. The tops are composed of four interconnecting parts in a shape that resembles a Celtic knot. These individual parts are connected by two dowel pins to each other leaving the design airy and functional as water has an easy way to flow through. The legs are in a simple, slightly tapered form to support the sitter with similar dowel pins connecting them to the seats. These mid-century sauna stools were made for Finnsauna Lagerholm...

Set of two stools with three legs entirely realized in black stained wood, designed in the style of Charlotte Perriand and manufactured in the 1950s. Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999) is one of the most important female furniture designers of the mid 20th century. As early as 1927 Perriand produced a number of critically acclaimed innovative pieces of metal furniture, which drew the attention of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. The result was the beginning of a work relationship that lasted many years. At Le Corbusier’s studio Charlotte Perriand developed a series of tubular steel chairs, among them the famous adaptable chaise longue, which was produced by Thonet two years later. Perriand’s work continued to evolve and in the mid 1930s, she started to experiment with natural materials such as wood and cane. She traveled to Japan in 1940 as an official advisor on industrial design to the Ministry for Trade and Industry to advise the government on how to raise standards of design in order to develop products for export to the West. Perriand adapted local techniques of woodwork and weaving - straw, bamboo and twigs becoming her materials of choice. It was especially after World War II, when Charlotte Perriand developed a new concept for the way of living by increasingly integrating the human dimension into her productions. Through flexible use of materials she achieved recognition with her pure and powerful style – as exemplified in her free form massive wood table models. Conscious of economic and social realities, she decided to opted upon large-scale production, and finding a new synthesis between tradition and industry. “Always concerned with innovation rather than trying to affirm a formula for renovation”, she designed various housing developments such as the Unité d’Habitation in Marseilles, with Le Corbusier in 1949, as well as rooms at the International Students’ Residence in Paris in 1953. Included was a library built in...

This is a Charming Set of Ebonized Walnut Nesting Tables, produced in Italy in the 1970s. Their plinth sides and tops are nicely curved at the edges, allowing them to move smoothly w...