Johannes Andersen for Dyrlund Teak Coffee Table with Double-Sided Drawers, Denmark, c. 1960s
Designed to Be Used From Every Side
A generously proportioned teak coffee table attributed to Johannes Andersen for Dyrlund, and made in Denmark in the 1960s.
Like other published examples of the model, it is unmarked, but its form, proportions and construction match documented examples of the design in both teak and rosewood.
This is Andersen at his most considered. Everything is resolved around use: a full-width drawer at each end that opens from either side, so it serves the sofa and the chairs opposite equally; an open bay running clean through the centre for books and magazines; and drawer fronts cut with a single recessed finger-groove instead of hardware, so nothing interrupts the line. Open a drawer and the quality is plain to see, with pale solid-wood drawer boxes dovetailed into the teak fronts. Beneath, sculpted legs flare gently into the frame and taper to the floor, joined at each end by a slender stretcher. The table carries its 152 cm with real lightness. The top is a quiet expanse of straight-grained teak with warm figure through the centre.
At 53 cm it stands a little taller than most of its contemporaries, which suits a higher-seated sofa. Finished on all four sides, it works as well floating in the middle of a room as it does set against a wall.
Andersen's cabinetwork has attracted steadily growing international interest. Collectors value his coffee tables in particular for their practicality, their quality of making and the thought given to how they are used.
Designer Profile — Johannes Andersen (1903–1991)
Johannes Andersen was among the Danish furniture architects who shaped the golden age of Scandinavian design through the 1950s and 60s. Remarkably little is recorded about the man himself, but his body of work is substantial. In 1957 his designs were shown at the Fredericia Furniture Fair alongside those of Børge Mogensen, Niels O. Møller and Grete Jalk, and a desk of his for Falster Møbelfabrik appeared in the American journal Arts & Architecture. He worked with a long list of Danish makers, including C.F. Christensen, Uldum and Bernhard Pedersen & Søn, and in Sweden with Trensum, for whom he designed the ‘Capri’ lounge range. His best-known piece is the organic Model 206 ‘Smile’ coffee table for C.F. Christensen of Silkeborg. His coffee tables in particular reward close attention: carefully resolved joinery, generous storage, and forms that are as practical as they are refined.
About the Maker — Dyrlund
Dyrlund was founded in 1960 by Svend Dyrlund. He studied at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts and worked for several Danish furniture manufacturers before establishing his own firm. The company built its name on high-end furniture for homes and offices and is best remembered for the Flip-Flap or "Lotus" expanding dining table.
All Vintage Club pieces are carefully considered for authenticity, provenance and condition before acquisition. Restoration is undertaken in-house to the highest standard.
