TEFAF New York 2023

Foreword:

Jacksons Design is pleased to be returning to New York this spring to present a selection of items from our collection at TEFAF. From the 12th of May until the 16th of May, Jacksons Design will showcase a selectively curated stand featuring rare and unique Scandinavian designs from the 20th century.

Among the centerpieces showcased is a unique chest of drawers from the workshop of the Swedish painter, sculptor and textile artist Ingegerd Torhamn (1898 – 1994), who played a leading role within the Swedish Modernist movement. The chest is hand-painted by Torhamn herself, and is shown alongside an important carpet by the Artist, which was exhibited during the renowned Stockholm Exhibition in 1930.

We are also presenting a rare ‘Monkey’ cabinet by the Austrian-Swedish designer Josef Frank. The cabinet is covered with motifs of 40 different hand-coloured French engravings from Comte de Buffon’s classic work ‘Histoire Naturelle’ from 1794. As of today, it is the only known cabinet that has been executed with these specific prints.

We are looking forward to meeting you.

Jacksons Design

Image left page: Jacksons showroom located in Frihamnen, Stockholm

JOSEF FRANK

Rare ‘Monkey’ Cabinet

Circa 1941

Model no. 1140

Mahogany, printed paper, oak frames

Produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden

H. 139,5 W. 121,5 D. 44 cm

History:

Known for his designs made with a wealth of colour, nature’s forms were a significant inspiration to Josef Frank. As of today, this is the only cabinet known that has been executed with these specific prints. Documents in the Svenskt Tenn Archive show: ‘Cabinet with copper plate - Model no. 1140. Oak strips around each copper plate. Buffon’s natural history, the ‘Apskåpet (Monkey Cabinet)’

The cabinet was most likely a special commissioned piece, made for a client who had strong ties to the exotic, working as a lawyer for the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the World Health Organization in the Congo, Persia and Korea, among other places.

Provenance:

Home of the family of the businessman and financier Axel Wenner-Gren. The parents acquired the cabinet from Svenskt Tenn around 1941, shortly after their marriage.

ALFRED GRENANDER

Swedish-born architect Alfred Grenander (1863 - 1931) is best known for his work in Berlin, where he spent most of his professional career.

Grenander moved to Germany in the 1880s, an eventful era in which many international contemporaries explored progressive and new styles of design. For instance, the Vienna Secession led by architects Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann were breaking away from the conservative traditions of the past, seeking new approaches to design. The forward-thinking works by Grenander quickly garnered attention, and he was put forward as the young and vigorous architect who could lead German design to new horizons. His designs were presented at leading international exhibitions, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. St.Louis, in 1904, and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition in Dresden in 1906. Following this, his prestige grew by designing numerous metro stations in Berlin, of which about 70 are still intact today.

In 1906, on the south coast of Malmö, Sweden, he built a summer house named ‘Villa Tångvallen’. Exclusively for his families’ personal use, the villa was designed in an unusual and progressive style for its time. The bright pink exterior and purple roof tiles resulted in a new and pioneering architecture that served as an inspiration to his German colleagues. For instance, Villa Tångvallen inspired Mies van der Rohe’s first summer house, which he built two years later in Berlin. The villa was a total gesamtkunstwerk; Grenander designed the entire exterior, interior and the furniture within. The furniture was made out of white painted pine, combined with brightly coloured walls. In comparison his prior works, these pieces were very simplistic, employing simple woods and geometric shapes. The furniture he conceived for Villa Tångvallen were never published, providing the freedom to explore and develop styles that he had never previously attempted.

The works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh were highly inspirational for Grenander. In early 1905, the two designers worked together during the ‘A.S. Ball Exhibition of Modern Furniture’ in Berlin. The exhibition was curated by Grenander, and presented several rooms furnished by individual designers. Mackintosh displayed a dining room, filled with simple furniture, which appeared structural without ornaments. His colour use was sophisticated, adding details of purple, in the predominantly dark grey room. When analysing Villa Tångvallen, the mutualisation of inspiration among Grenander and Mackintosh becomes readily apparent. The concept of the whitepainted furniture pieces, placed as geometric and abstract shapes in the room, can be understood to represent a radical movement in design, which was used by Grenander and Mackintosh, among others, to demonstrate their proto-modernist concepts.

Image right page: Alfred Grenander

ALFRED GRENANDER

Pair of Folding Tables

1905-06

Painted pine

Two separate units with gate leg supports, which open to support folding leaves to create one large table

H.75 W.89 D.89cm

Exhibited: Broehan Museum, ‘From Arts and Crafts to the Bauhaus, Art and Design - A New Unity!’ , Berlin, 2019

History:

This pair of folding tables was designed for Alfred Grenander’s summer house, Villa Tångvallen, located at the southern coast of Malmö, Sweden. The villa was built in 1906-07 in the style of the late English Arts and Crafts Movement. The white painted furniture, designed by Grenander for the house, was paired with bold accent colours, such as shimmering blue tiles and yellow painted walls.

Provenance:

Alfred Grenander’s personal summer home, Villa Tangvallen, Falsterbo, Sweden.

Literature:

Tobias Hoffmann, ‘From Arts and Crafts to the Bauhaus. Art and Design - A New Unity!’ , exh. cat., Bröhan-Museum, Berlin, 2019, p.163, cat. no. 91, illustrated.

Alfred Grenander, Sketch for a kiosk, published in ‘Berlin Architecture World’, 1904.

Jackson Design BARBRO NILSSON

Carpet

1940s

Hand woven wool in relief

Signed ‘BN ABMMF’

Produced by Märta Måås Fjetterström AB, Sweden

W. 300 D. 210 cm

JOHANNES C. BJERG

‘Woman with Snakes’ Sculpture

1918

Gilt bronze

Signed ‘Johannes C. Bjerg’. Stamped ‘DK’ (= Dansk Kunsthandel)

Produced by Johannes C. Bjerg, Denmark

H.63,5 W.22 D.23cm

Literature: Bjerg, Kresten, online archive

Bjerg’ , 2003, cat. no. 1918.

INGEGERD TORHAMN

Swedish painter, sculptor and textile artist Ingegerd Torhamn (18981994) played a critical role within the Swedish Modernist movement. The carpets she designed, in particular, were unprecedented within the context of contemporary Swedish textile art.

Ingegerd Torhamn was born in Stockholm in 1898. Daughter of painter Knut Sjöstrand, it became clear from an early age that she would aspire to a career in art. After training in sculpture at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, her aesthetic gradually moved more towards ‘Funkis’, the Nordic equivalent of the international architectural style functionalism. In the mid-1920s, Torhamn moved to Paris, where she became involved in the dynamic avant-garde artist community of the time. Upon her return to Sweden in 1927, Torhamn was hired as an aesthetic consultant for Swedish companies furnishing their properties in Berlin. At this point, she came into contact with the German Bauhaus movement, which, at the time, was relocating from Weimar to Dessau. The Constructivist spirit and practical approach of Bauhaus were increasingly seen as fundamental to modern design, and were key to the further development and maturation of Ingegerd Torhamn’s design language.

She participated in the legendary Stockholm exhibition in 1930, which cemented her reputation as a serious and well-respected designer. She created and displayed a dozen carpets and textile works throughout the exhibition in a bold modernist language. Her radical designs fitted perfectly with the aesthetic and general mission of the exhibition. With its slogan ‘Acceptera!’, or ‘Accept!’, the exhibition pleaded for an acceptance for the style of functionalism, thereby ushering in a new era of Modernism. The designs by Ingegerd Torhamn can be considered a reflection of Malevich’s abstract use of geometry; whist simultaneously referring to Purism launched by Amedée Ozenfant and Le Corbusier in their post-cubist designs of stylised figures, masks, musical instruments and vases that also included geometric fragments, lines and dots. Their subtle yet sophisticated colour scheme also seems to be reflected in Ingegerd Torhamn’s carpets. The development of this design aesthetic was not singular, but can be observed in the work of several other important female designers who found their way to Paris during this period, including Eileen Gray, Evelyn Wyld and Eyre de Lanux, each of whom designed their own textiles.

Image right page: Ingegerd Torhamn

Alongside an important carpet by Torhamn presented at the eponymous 1930 Stockholm exhibition, Jacksons is also exhibiting a unique chest of drawers from her private studio, hand-painted by Torhamn herself. Works by the Artist are retained within the permanent collections of the National Museum, Stockholm, Modern Museum Stockholm, Röhsska Museet, and Stockholms Stadsmuseum, among others.

Ingegerd Torhamn in her studio, 1980s, in the background the unique chest of drawers.

INGEGERD TORHAMN

Unique Chest of Drawers

1930s

Black lacquered wood, with hand-painted drawers, metal pulls

Signed on backside: ‘Design and Decor by Ingegerd Torhamn (18)98 12 27 - 0420’

H.166 W.100 D.60cm

History:

Inspired by the Bauhaus and Funktionalism movement, painter, sculptor and textile artist Ingegerd Torhamn created her works of art in her Stockholm based studio. This unique chest of drawers was owned and used in Ingegerd Torhamn’s atelier and was hand-painted by the Artist herself. Contemporary pictures show the piece in situ.

Provenance: The Torhamn family

INGEGERD TORHAMN

Important Rug

Designed 1929, executed 1930

Hand-knotted wool

With woven signature ‘it’

H. 218 W. 218 cm

Offered together with two preparatory gouache drawings from the designer, both signed and one dated 1929.

Exhibited:

Stockholm Exhibition, Villa 42.

V.I.P. in Swedish Design, Kalmar Konstmuseum 1996.

History:

One of the twelve rugs of her designs (including this rug as part of the music room) exhibited at the important Stockholm Exhibition of 1930. A number of her works, including those from the Stockholm Exhibition, are retained within the permanent collection of the National Museum, Stockholm.

Literature:

Utställningsförlaget, ‘Stockholmsutställningen 1930 av konstindustri, konsthantverk och hemslöjd; specialkatalog över bastadsavdelingen’ , Stockholm, 1930.

Bröderna, Lagerström, ‘Stockholm Exhibition 1930 Katalog’ , Stockholm, 1930, p.149.

Arkiv for Svensk Formgivning, ‘V.I.P. in Swedish Design: Axel Larsson, Ingegerd Torhamn, Inga Linden & Paula Sokolow’ , 1996, Kalmar Konstmuseum.

Wollin, Nils G., ‘Svenska Textilier 1930’ , Stockholm 1930, plate no. 50.

Ingegerd Torhamn, preparatory gouache drawings, both signed and one dated 1929, included with the carpet.

PAAVO TYNELL

Pair of Ceiling Lamps

1950s

Model no. K2-33

Brass, perforated brass

Produced by Idamn, Finland

Height adjustable Dia. 70 cm

History:

Paavo Tynell is best known for his chandeliers and ceiling lights of the 1940s and 1950s, where he used nature as his main source of inspiration. Often featuring metal cut out leaves, snowflakes or vines, which ‘dance’ on the metal wires and create an interplay with shadow and light.

FRITS HENNINGSEN

Wingback Armchair

Designed in 1935

Original black leather, carved mahogany legs

Produced by Frits Henningsen, Denmark

H.114 W.68 D.100 Seat h.45 Arm h.66 cm

Literature:

Laursen, Bodil Busk, Olesen, Christian Holmsted, Matz, Søren, ‘Mesterværker: 100 års dansk møbelsnedkeri’ , Kunstindustrimuseet, 2002, p. 39

Gura, Judith, ‘Scandinavian furniture: A sourcebook of classic designs for the 21st Century’ , Norton & Co, 2007, p. 20

Illuminated Glass Globe

1950s

Etched and carved glass, steel base

Produced by Flygsfors, Sweden

H.50 W.33 D.30cm

Literature:

Flygsfors Catalogue, 1953, no. J 1 300.

AXEL EINAR HJORTH

Designed 1932

Pine

Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden

H. 74,5 W. 170 D. 55 cm

Literature:

Björk, Christian, Ekström, Thomas & Ericson, Eric, ‘Axel Einar Hjorth: Möbelarkitekt’ , Bokförlaget Atlantis, 2009, p.128.

‘Utö’ Table

BJÖRN TRÄGÅRDH

Floor Lamp

1930s Model no. 1715

Aluminium, brass, pewter

Produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden

H.132 cm

Literature:

Svenskt tenn, ‘Firma Svenskt Tenn’ , Catalogue, Stockholm, 1931, p. 5. Gustaf

Munthe, ‘Moderna Möbler’ , Stockholm, 1931, fig. 21.

MARIE LOUISE IDESTAM-BLOMBERG

Chess Set

Designed in 1920s, this example executed in 1946

Chess board: Pewter, brass

Game pieces: Pewter, gilt metal

Produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden

H.9,5 W.40 D.40cm

History:

This chess game was designed by Marie-Lousie Idestam-Blomberg in the 1920s. It was displayed during the Paris Exhibition 1925; after which Svenskt Tenn took over the production rights. The set shown at the Paris exhibition was made in ebony and ivory.

Literature:

Magazine ‘Boet’ , 1935, p.93

Jacobsen, Rikard, Gerber, Jan von, ‘Modernt Svenskt Tenn’ , Éditions Atlantis, Stockholm, 2004. p.37.

BØRGE CLAUSEN

Unique Sofa

1940s

Solid oak, original leather, brass nails

Produced by Børge Clausen, Denmark

H.76 W.152 D.70 Seat h.36cm

History:

Little is known about master cabinetmaker Børge Clausen, an enigmatic character who had an exceptional eye for form, material and detail. Although there is no evidence Clausen ever participated in the important Danish Cabinetmakers Guild exhibitions which ran from 1927 until the late 1960’s, it is clear that he was aware of the curvaceous early designs of Finn Juhl of the late 1930s, the eccentric lines of independent cabinetmaker Peder Moos, and the sinuous forms of Frits Henningsen.

Provenance: Family of Børge Clausen

JOHANNES C. BJERG

‘Soldier with Bird’ Sculpture

1918

Patinated bronze

Signed ‘Johannes Bjerg 1918’. Stamped ‘DK’ (= Dansk Kunsthandel)

Produced by Johannes C. Bjerg, Denmark

H.64 W.34 D.14cm

Literature:

Bjerg, Kresten, online archive ‘Johannes Bjerg’ , 2003, cat. no. 1918. Exhibition catalogue, ‘Grønningen in Aarhus’ , 1918, cat. no. 23.

Jacksons Design, showroom, loacted in Frihamnen, Stockholm.