Axel Einar Hjorth, Two 1930s 'Lovö' chairs for Nordiska Kompaniet.
Stained pine. Iron fittings. Seat width 52 cm. Seat height 41 cm. Total height 79 cm and 79.5 cm.
In places, heavy wear, scratches, and surface damage. Several cracks due to dryness. Both backrests have full-length cracks that have been repaired with metal reinforcements. The second chair has two additional iron fittings fastened with nuts underneath the seat into the back apron. There are paint stains underneath the seat and backrests. The furniture pads are firmly attached.
The armchairs have been owned by the same family for the past 30 years.
Axel Einar Hjorth is considered one of Sweden's most significant furniture designers during the 1920s and 30s. Hjorth's early employers included Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors and the Stockholm Crafts Association. The big breakthrough came as chief architect for Nordiska Kompaniet, a position he took up in 1927 and held until 1938. Hjorth's first major assignment was the Nordiska Kompaniet's lavish stand at the World Exhibition in Barcelona in 1929, to then participate in several major international exhibitions during the following decade. In 1929, Hjorth also breaks new ground and designs the first series of rustic furniture in stained pine, the so-called sports cabin furniture that was named "Lovö", "Utö" and "Sandhamn" after the islands in the Stockholm archipelago.
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