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About the Item
Mirror number 306 in teak frame designed by Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjaersgaard in the 1960s.
The mirror is stamped by Aksel Kjaersgaards workshop on the backside and has been checked and refinished by our cabinetmaker to ensure that its in good condition.Creator: Kai Kristiansen (Designer),Aksel Kjersgaard (Maker)Dimensions: Height: 42.92 in (109 cm)Width: 21.93 in (55.7 cm)Depth: 1.78 in (4.5 cm)Style: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: Mirror,TeakPlace of Origin: DenmarkPeriod: 1960-1969Date of Manufacture: 1960sCondition: GoodRefinished. Wear consistent with age and use. The mirror has been checked and refinished by our cabinetmaker to ensure that its in good condition.Seller Location: Knebel, DKReference Number: 1stDibs: LU2713316466271Shop All Kai Kristiansen
Kai Kristiansen
With a passion for math and engineering, Kai Kristiansen has created high-quality wood furniture for decades. Beginning in the 1950s, his coffee tables, chairs, modular shelving and other furnishings were made in the style that would become internationally renowned as Danish modern and boasted clean lines, perfected functionality and exacting craftsmanship.
Born in Denmark, Kristiansen trained in cabinetmaking before studying with Kaare Klint, often cited as the father of modern Danish design, at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. At just 26 years old, Kristiansen opened his own studio.
Kristiansen had his mid-century breakthrough in 1956 with the Chair #42, which he made with Schou Andersen. Unlike most other chairs at the time, Chair #42s armrests, with their wealth of radical angles, were connected to the back rather than the front legs. This unconventional flourish makes the backrest appear as though it is floating in midair above the seat.
Kristiansens next innovation was a modular wall system in 1957 three years ahead of Dieter Ramss more famous 606 Universal Shelving System. Called the Reolsystem Wall Unit, produced by SB Feldballes Mbelfabrik, its also known as the FM Wall Unit as FM/Fornem Mbelkunst began producing it in the 1960s.
Kristiansen would go on to work with other leading Danish furniture manufacturers such as Magnus Olesen, Fritz Hansen and Vildbjerg Mbelfabrik, designing everything from chairs and desks to sideboards and cabinets, frequently in rosewood and teak. (The latter was a sought-after wood by Scandinavian modern designers.)
While many of Kristiansens timeless designs remain in production, such as his Paper Knife sofa, which was reintroduced by Miyazaki Chair Factory in 2008, and his 1950s Entr collection, which was relaunched with Great Dane Furniture in 2016, others are prized as vintage mid-century pieces.
Today, Kristiansen is still at work on new furniture with an expert eye to thoughtfully functional designs that are made to last.
Find a collection of vintage Kai Kristiansen furniture on 1stDibs.
Shop All Aksel Kjersgaard
Aksel Kjersgaard
Danish designer Aksel Kjersgaard founded his eponymous furniture manufacturing company in 1952. Revered by mid-century furniture lovers for its straightforward approach to design of its classic mirrors, which are frequently framed in teak or rosewood or the graceful, angular forms of its vintage case pieces and storage cabinets Aksel Kjersgaard is eminently collectible today. It is among the manufacturers that popularized Scandinavian modernism on an international scale, and the popularity of the brand endures.
A master cabinetmaker, Kjersgaard had spent three years traveling through Europe and Morocco toiling in other workshops before he opened his own factory. When he returned to Odder, in his native country, he was eager to start creating his own furniture, and his sleek, minimalist dressers, sideboards, cabinets and wall mirrors debuted in 1955.
The factory quickly gained a sterling reputation for its focus on craftsmanship and Kjersgaards reluctance to embellish his handmade pieces with ornament or unnecessary decorative flourishes. Kjersgaard attracted many talents of the Scandinavian modernist movement (and continues to do so today).
Known for his Chair #42, which he created with Schou Andersen, designer Kai Kristiansen worked with the company through the 1950s and 1960s, and his side tables and chests became a hallmark of the brand. During the 1970s, architects and former Rud Rasmussen cabinetmakers Sren Nissen and Ebbe Gehl brought their expertise to the manufacturer, introducing a Shaker-influenced line that represented the start of what is now the very popular Naver collection, which is offered by way of a collaboration between Gramrode Mbelfabrik and Aksel Kjersgaard A/S.
Find vintage Aksel Kjersgaard mirrors, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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