Lovö Dining Table by Axel Einar Hjorth
by Axel Einar HjorthA Swedish Pine Lovö Dining Table with a central stretcher joining two trestle ends with mortice and tenon joints
Sweden, circa 1932
H 28¼" x W 71" x D 29¾"
Hjorth's Sportstugemöbler collection was intended for Swedish summer houses of his design, displaying a mix of modernism and provisional handicraft espoused by the desiner during the 1930s. These (usually unlabelled) pieces were named after Stockholm's archipelago islands, including Blidö, Sandhamn, Toro and Lovö.
Hjorth was always happy to combine a range of styles, including the linear compositions of French Art Deco, the solidity and weight of brutalism and the rustic charms of the Arts & Crafts. Unlike many of his contemporaries Hjoth did not conform to the socially-oriented ideas produced by Svensk Form (the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design) and was happy to utilise aesthetics for commercial advantage, in this instance the production of relaxing interiors for the holiday homes of the middle classes.
