Finn Juhl for Baker Oval Dining Table
About the Item
- Creator:Baker Furniture Company (Manufacturer),Finn Juhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 46 in (116.84 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1955
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU843035921752
Finn Juhl
Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.
As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.
Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable Chieftan lounge chair, the biomorphic Baker sofa, and the Judas table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes.
As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, Finn Juhl’s furniture — as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories — has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th-century design.
Baker Furniture Company
Owing to the company’s collaborations with many leading designers and artists over time, vintage Baker furniture is consistently sought after today. The heritage brand’s chairs, dining tables, desks and other pieces are widely known to collectors and design enthusiasts for their fine craftsmanship and durability.
Within a few decades of its launch, Baker Furniture Company evolved into one of the largest and most important furniture manufacturers in the United States and became known for its high-quality production standards. Siebe Baker and business partner Henry Cook founded the original iteration of Baker Furniture Company in 1890 in Allegan, Michigan, after immigrating to the United States from the Netherlands. Allegan is a small town west of Grand Rapids, which, at that time was home to Widdicomb Furniture Co. and more and was known as America’s furniture capital. The company manufactured doors and interior moldings and introduced a combination desk and bookcase in 1893. In the early 1900s, Siebe became the sole owner of the business.
Among others, stage designer Joseph Urban and modernist designer Kem Weber contributed designs to Baker in the 1920s. In 1932, under the leadership of Siebe’s son, Hollis, who started at the company as a salesman but took the reins when his father passed in 1925, Baker Furniture introduced bedroom pieces and debuted its Manor House collection, which made reproductions of European furnishings available to the American market. (Hollis was an avid traveler and procured antiques overseas for the company to reproduce in the United States.) Soon, Baker Furniture Company moved to Holland, Michigan, and eventually opened showrooms in Grand Rapids and elsewhere.
Pioneering Scandinavian designer Finn Juhl created a Danish modern line for Baker in 1951, and the company produced his award-winning Chieftain chair for a short time. In the late 1950s, Baker introduced the Milling Road label to reach a younger audience with stylish but less costly furnishings like console tables, walnut dining chairs and more, and in 1961, British furniture designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings introduced a modern neoclassical line at Baker.
The 1960s and ’70s saw the introduction of historic reproduction furniture lines such as Woburn Abbey and the Historic Charleston collection, which remain very popular to this day. In 1990, Baker was licensed to produce a furniture line from Colonial Williamsburg. That same year, the Smithsonian Museum introduced Baker’s Chippendale chair into its permanent collection and the Grand Rapids Art Museum dedicated an exhibition to Baker’s 100th anniversary, a showcase that included 150 pieces of furniture Siebe Baker had collected as part of a larger assortment that had served as inspiration for his designs.
Today, vintage Baker furniture, such as its elegant mahogany nightstands and teak credenzas — particularly those crafted by Finn Juhl — sees high demand online and elsewhere. The company continues to produce contemporary collections with well-known designers such as Bill Sofield, Barbara Barry and Kara Mann and remains on par with some of the highest quality furniture in the industry.
Browse vintage Baker armchairs, sofas, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Finn Juhl NV-45 Teak Armchair for Niels VodderBy Niels Vodder, Finn JuhlLocated in Philadelphia, PAFinn Juhl all original NV45 armchair. Black leather with it's original black suede seat cushion. Often said the most beautiful chair ever designed and probably Juhl's masterpiece! Ch...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Finn Juhl Jupiter Leather 3-Seat SofaBy Finn JuhlLocated in Philadelphia, PAFinn Juhl Jupiter 3 seat brown leather sofa. Shows beautiful Patina and wear! One seat cushion has tear in leather in front as seen in photos, everyt...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Henning Kjaernulf for Soro Round Teak Dining TableBy Henning KjærnulfLocated in Philadelphia, PAHenning Kjaernulf for Soro 47" round teak table with 2 leaves. Newly refinished. New 24" leaves were just made. Table opens to 95" when both leav...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh Dining TableBy Charles Rennie MackintoshLocated in Philadelphia, PACharles Rennie Mackintosh Dining Table. Part of the Hill House Commission. This table dates to the late 80's and was painted gray around 2010. Shows typical signs of wear and use....Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- Arne Jacobsen Black Egg TableBy Arne JacobsenLocated in Philadelphia, PAArne Jacobsen egg table. Newly refinished ebonized black finish. Perfect to use in a small dining area or as a writing desk. Great classic Dani...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Saarinen for Knoll Executive Side/ Dining ChairsBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PASet of 8 Eero Saarinen Side Dining Chairs for Knoll. This set dates to 2009. Red velvet material in very nice condition! Chrome is clean as well! Chair ready to go! One of the most comfortable chairs out there! I use these around my dining table!Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Finn Juhl Dining Table by Baker FurnitureBy Finn Juhl, Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Highland, INThis beautifully detailed dining walnut table designed in 1951 by Finn Juhl for Baker Furniture has several of Juhl's trademark sculptural details. 29.5" h X 68" long (table has two...Category
Vintage 1950s American Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Finn Juhl for Baker Furniture Teak Game TableBy Finn Juhl, Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in South Bend, INA handsome teak game table designed by Danish architect Finn Juhl for Baker Furniture. The table features stunning teak wood grain and unique carved corner drink...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Danish Modern Finn Juhl Baker Furniture Dining TableBy Finn Juhl, Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Minneapolis, MNA Danish Modern design by Finn Juhl for American manufacturer Baker Furniture. This relationship between Juhl and Baker catipulted Danish Modern ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Finn Juhl Dining Table and ChairsBy Baker Furniture Company, Finn JuhlLocated in Highland, INThis exquisite dining set by Finn Juhl was designed in 1951 and is Classic Juhl. The sculptural frames of the model FJ 51 chairs support the curved seats and backs giving them the ap...Category
Vintage 1950s American Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Dining Table by Finn JuhlBy Finn JuhlLocated in Copenhagen, DKFD 540 - Dining table in teak with one extension plate of 50 cm. Finn Juhl / France & Son.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Finn Juhl Coffee Table by BakerBy Baker Furniture Company, Finn JuhlLocated in Highland, INA sublime shape, a wonderful large scale, and delightful details all mark this coffee table by Danish master Finn Juhl. One of the designs that Juhl created in 1951 for American manu...Category
Vintage 1950s American Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSycamore, Walnut