H.G. Bradley Teak Dressing Table and Stool, Harare, c. 1970s
Danish Discipline, Made in Harare
A complete teak dressing table with its original lift-off mirror and matching stool, made by H.G. Bradley in Harare in the 1970s to a Danish Modern design.
It comes from a small collection bought directly from Bradley by its original owners, and it has remained with them ever since.
The drawers carry no hardware, and that is where the piece reveals itself. Each front has a shaped lower lip that works as a full-width pull and ends in a carved scoop. It's a detail you discover only as the drawer opens, and the clearest evidence of the care that went into the making.
The case is equally considered. The left-hand pedestal hangs from the top on legs set well back beneath it, and the right-hand legs are drawn in from the end so the case overhangs, keeping a substantial dressing table light on its feet. There are four drawers in all, beneath a frameless mirror raised on slim posts. The original stool follows the same language: round tapered legs, shaped seat rails, and leg tops left standing proud of the frame.
With the mirror removed, it works equally well as a compact writing desk or console.
Provenance & Maker — H.G. Bradley, Harare
Acquired from the original owners, Clive and Barbara King, who bought these pieces from H.G. Bradley in Harare (then Salisbury, Rhodesia) in the 1970s. They knew Mr Bradley well and admired his style and his dedication to perfection.Bradley's workshop produced high-quality interpretations of Danish Modern designs, deliberately unlabelled so as not to be mistaken for the Danish originals. They bear no maker's mark, and the attribution rests on the original owners' first-hand recollection rather than surviving documentation.
