Low coffee table, designed by Karl-Erik Ekselius for JOC Vetlanda, Sweden, 1960s

Description

Low coffee table, designed by Karl-Erik Ekselius for JOC Vetlanda, Sweden, 1960s

A very rare coffee table model with a strong, modernist form. It was designed by Karl-Erik Ekselius for J.O. Carlsson in Sweden in the 1960s. The geometric table was made from light oak, considered a regal wood. It is a very strong and durable material characterised by rich grain. The wood is resistant to scratches and damage, and gains nobility with age. The square tabletop rests on broad, rectangular legs that tuck beneath it. The piece is visually light and highly functional, while the arrangement of the beams at different heights gives it a geometric and linear expression. Although the coffee table is a decorative detail, it lends character to the entire interior. The original signature is located on the underside of the tabletop.

Karl-Erik Ekselius lived from 1914 to 1998. He was a Swedish architect and furniture designer. He studied carpentry in Germany and at Carl Malmsten’s School of Furniture in Stockholm in the 1930s. He then worked for the family company J. O. Carlsson, later known as JOC Möbel AB, in Vetlanda, eventually taking over management of the company in 1970. In 1955, he made his breakthrough as a designer at the H55 exhibition in Helsingborg, where he presented chairs, a table and a sofa made by J. O. Carlsson. One of his best-known works was the F 139 armchair, which was selected for the Dag Hammarskjöld Library in New York. In the 1960s and 1970s, the company focused on furniture for public spaces and offices. It was during this period that Ekselius designed the Mondo armchair, made with an extruded aluminium frame and leather upholstery. Ekselius worked as an architect on projects such as Columbia University in New York and New Zealand House in London. He also designed furniture for America Line cruise ships.

The table is in very good vintage condition. It has been restored.