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About the Item
Set of Pewter Mirror with Wall Candle Sconces made by Svensk Tenn circa 1930s. A fine installment for a beautiful place.
* Pewter mirror with pair of matching candlestick holders, also with mirrors.
* Manufacturer: Svenskt Tenn
* Year: est. 1930s
* Condition: Fair vintage condition. Makers engravings intact. Marks, small dents and scratches. Mirrors with marks.
* Dimensions mirror (H x W): 48cm x 27cm
* Dimensions sconces (H x W): 34xm x 10cmCreator: Svenskt Tenn (Maker)Dimensions: Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)Width: 10.63 in (27 cm)Depth: 0.79 in (2 cm)Sold As: Set of 3Style: Art Deco (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: PewterPlace of Origin: SwedenPeriod: 1930-1939Date of Manufacture: 1930Condition: FairWear consistent with age and use.Seller Location: Vrlse, DKReference Number: 1stDibs: LU8209242118272Shop All Svenskt Tenn
Svenskt Tenn
Today, the name Svenskt Tenn is associated around the world with the vibrant, modernist textiles and furniture of Josef Frank, who was the Swedish companys chief designer in the mid-20th century. But the term svenskt tenn actually means Swedish pewter, and the very first goods the company sold were stylish pewter objects, such as an elegant 1927 candelabra found in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum, or a sleek, understated mirror in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts. These pieces were designed to appeal to discerning but price-conscious shoppers in 1920s-era Stockholm.
Art teacher and interior designer Estrid Ericson (18941981) partnered with pewter artisan Nils Fougstedt (18811954) to establish Svenskt Tenn in 1924, and their creations quickly gained a reputation for high quality and affordability, winning a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 the design fair that brought global attention to the Art Deco style.
The experience of renovating her own apartment in the 1920s exposed Ericson to Swedish functionalism or funkis, as it was known in Sweden a branch of modernism that advocated uncomplicated forms, subdued colors and utility. She was inspired to open an interior design department at Svenskt Tenn, and in 1930 the firm introduced its first line of furniture.
Selections included items produced by the companies Gemla and Bodafors, as well as original designs by Ericson and the architects Uno hrn and Bjrn Trgrdh, who had worked together on the redesign and expansion of the showroom. The trios furniture was displayed at Stockholms Galleri Modern in 1931, where it was met with praise from critic Gotthard Johansson, a leading proponent of Swedish functionalism. Johansson admired the pure lines and modern austerity of the furniture, establishing Svenskt Tenn as an important voice in Swedish design.
But the signature partnership that would come to define the look of Svenskt Tenn was in part the result of political turmoil and the emergence of Nazism in Europe. When Josef Frank fled Vienna for Stockholm in 1933, he was already an accomplished architect who questioned modernist orthodoxy in design. He disliked tubular steel furniture and believed that monochromatic surfaces were distressing to viewers, while pattern and ornament gave interiors a sense of warmth and calm. Ericson was an admirer of Franks work, and offered him the chance to design products for Svenskt Tenn. Their professional partnership, particularly in textile design, would eventually become one of the hallmarks of Swedish modernism.
Frank and Ericson collaborated from 1934 until Franks death in 1967, with Frank creating unmistakable, bold designs and Ericson employing her flair for interiors, merchandising and display. The pair called their shared approach Accidentism or The Happy Chances Philosophy, mixing and matching the new and antique, the serious with the playful and pattern with solid colors to find eclectic new combinations in their showroom.
Franks textiles are like a visual catalogue of exotic plants and flowers, geological formations and maps, inspired in part by Ericsons world travels and by Franks love of folk art. Svenskt Tenn continues to sell fabric, wallpaper and household goods, many of which sport variations of Frank’s signature botanical motifs. Antique and vintage Svenskt Tenn pewter, lighting, furniture, textiles and decorative objects are generally priced anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000 depending on scale and condition.
The tenets of Scandinavian modernism are as fresh and relevant now as they were in the 1950s light-filled and airy rooms with white walls are perfect settings for comfortable furniture upholstered in one of Josef Franks indelible patterns, and nearly a century since its founding, the signature aesthetic of Svenskt Tenn remains as distinctive and timeless as ever.
Find antique and vintage Svenskt Tenn mirrors, seating, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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