No connection to server
Theme auctions online
Systembolaget Wine and Spirits auction – November D063
Auction:
Indian Erotic Scenes – A Collection E1117
Auction:
Curated Timepieces – October F528
Auction:
Contemporary Design Online F537
Auction:
The fascination of China F570
Auction:
Dine in Style F513
Auction:
Classic Art Online F575
Auction:
Helsinki Winter Sale F504
Auction:
Live auctions
Modern Art & Design 660
Auction: November 19−20, 2024
Important Winter Sale 661
Auction: December 11−13, 2024
6
1283741

James Krenov

(United States, 1920-2009)
Estimate
15 000 - 20 000 SEK
1 320 - 1 770 EUR
1 400 - 1 870 USD
Hammer price
50 000 SEK
Purchasing info
Image rights

The artworks in this database are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the rights holders. The artworks are reproduced in this database with a license from Bildupphovsrätt.

For condition report contact specialist
Camilla Behrer
Stockholm
Camilla Behrer
Head of Design/ Specialist Modern & Contemporary Decorative Art & Design
+46 (0)708 92 19 77
James Krenov
(United States, 1920-2009)

a cabinet, executed in his own workshop, Bromma, Sweden ca 1979.

American spalted maple, curved doors on an high South American sucupira base, interior with shelves and Indian laurel drawers, signed JK. Height 145 cm, width 41 cm, depth 20 cm.

Insignificant wear.

Provenance

Bought directly from James Krenov in 1979.

Literature

James Krenov, "The fine art of Cabinetmaking", van Nostrand Reinhold Ltd, USA 1977, compare cabinet p 108.
James Krenov, "A Cabinetmaker's notebook", Van Nostrand Reinhold Ltd 1976, compare similar cabinet illustrated p 99.

More information

James (Jim Dimitri) Krenov (1920-2009) was born in Siberia and moved as a child to Shanghai and then on to the United States, to Alaska where his parents worked as teachers. The family eventually settled in Seattle, where Krenov graduated from high school. He started working in wood as a child, building boat models and later working with large sailboats.
In 1947, Krenov moved with his mother to Europe. In Paris in 1949 he met his future wife Britta. They married in 1951 and traveled together in Italy and France and also spent many summers in the Swedish mountains.
Through a friend in Sweden, Krenov got a job building architectural wooden models and soon he got a place at Carl Malmsten's design school, where he studied for two years. After that he worked with a number of private interior projects together with Vidar Malmsten.

In 1955, Krenov opened his own workshop in Bromma, where he worked with furniture carpentry on a smaller scale and kept a shop in his own basement. For many years he gradually built up his good reputation for his simple design. Once established, Krenov also began to share his expertise. Frank Ramsay, president of the Bay Area Woodworkers Association, is one of those inspired by Krenov: "Krenov really helped to recreate an interest in fine woodworking that had largely died out in the 1950s." Over time, Krenov received many requests to document his design philosophy in book format. In 1976, Krenov's first book, "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook," was published. The positive response to the first book ended up with four more books including a final book that showcased his students' work, "With Wakened Hands."