Niels Vodder

Designed and executed in 1948.
Pained tubular steel, teak 'shoes', teak, brass. 

Provenance: 
Professor Alf Ross;
Hence by descent in the family.

Furniture

Unique 'Ross' Coffee Table

History:
Finn Juhl designed the furniture for the home of Alf Ross. Only this very table made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder exists. The black-and-white photo shows Alf Ross and family around the table, with the previous owner is sitting on his lap. The table is part of a series of tables from around 1945–1950 where Finn Juhl most clearly obliterates the distinction between function and artistic expression. He uses different materials, each of which point to their functional purpose, while at the same time transforming it to a sculpture due to their different colours and shapes. The ¨Ross¨ table with the straight lines on the frame, circle motif on the organic top, balancing on the rounded teak “shoes”, is significantly inspired by the Swiss artist Sophie Tauber-Arp and her works and thoughts on balance and movement. It is furniture art in the most literal sense. The recess in the brass plate is presumably, similar to Finn Juhl's table from 1945, intended to accommodate the pewter vase with glass lid (Model A1432) that Björn Trägårdh designed for Firma Svenskt Tenn in 1930.

Literature: 
Sommer, Anne Louise, 'Watercolours by Finn Juhl', Strandberg Publishing (Denmark) 2015.
Archive, 'Design Museum Denmark', Two original drafts for the table; a version in oak with a green lacquered frame and a version in teak with a white lacquered frame. Alf Ross went with the white version, the other version is painted in the above literature.

Attributed to Finn Juhl, made approx. 1948.
Solid teak, original oiled surface.

Provenance: 
Professor Alf Ross
Thence by descent

Bench

History:
The bench is characterised by the criss-cross slats on the top, which can be found in a unique table he designed in 1947 for the dentist Mr. Ravn. Most typical is however the form of the legs that follow Finn Juhls characteristic twist of holding a straight outer line and a curved or tilted inner side. This can be seen again and again in his tables; the FJ 41, FJ 44, The Ravn table, and also in his well known coffee table FD 532 in solid teak for France & Son.

Model no. FJ 53, designed in 1953. These examples produced in 1950-60s.
Brazilian Rosewood, Bakelite fittings, upholstered in wool. 
Stamped to the underside: 'Niels Vodder Cabinetmaker, Copenhagen Denmark, Design Finn Juhl'.  

Provenance: 
Niels Vodder, hence by descent in the family.

Pair of Easy Chairs

History: 
Model presented at The Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition at Designmuseum Danmark, 1953.

Literature: 
Jalk, Grete, '40 Years of Danish Furniture Design', vol. 3, pp. 270–271.

Teak, leather. Designed 1949. 
Literature: 
Grete Jalk [ed.]: "40 Years of Danish Furniture Design", vol. 3, ill. p. 125.

Set of Twelve 'Egyptian Chairs'

Palisander and original blue leather.
Each chair stamped "Cabinet maker Niels Vodder Finn Juhl".
Ten Chairs, Model no. 108 and Two Armchairs, Model no. 109

Armchair dimensions: 73 cm x 65.5 x 54 cm 
Armrest Height: 65 cm
Chair dimensions:72.5 cm x 50 cm x 54 cm
Seat Height: 41 cm

Set of Twelve Dining Chairs

Cuban mahogany, Oregon pine, wool Kvadrat upholstery.
Designed 1943

Provenance: 
Private Collection Denmark
Thence by descent

This model was designed in 1943 as part of a number of individual pieces of furniture commissioned by publisher and editor Poul Westermann. The model is the precursor of the FJ 45 chair and is known as “The Westermann Fireplace Chair”. Poul Westermann was an editor/publisher and astute businessman who with an equal amount of foresight and skillful marketing, where he among other things hired French Cassandre to draw his advertisments, made himself a fortune by publishing easy-to-read non-fiction.