H.G. Bradley Two-Tier Teak Serving Trolley, Harare, c. 1970s
A Trolley That Serves Twice — In the Manner of Edvard Kindt-Larsen
A handsome two-tier serving trolley in teak, made by H.G. Bradley in Harare in the 1970s after Edvard Kindt-Larsen's celebrated tray-top design for Søborg Møbler. It comes from a small collection bought directly from Bradley by its original owners, and it has remained with them ever since.
The idea is a simple one, beautifully carried out. The tray lifts clear off, so the trolley serves twice: wheeled to the table, then the tray carried on to wherever it's wanted. Its rails sweep up and outward at each end, and each end opens into a handle set clear of the tray itself. That gesture gives the whole piece its character. Below, the frame is equally considered: mitred corners to the apron, legs tapering cleanly to the original castors, and a full lower shelf for bottles and glassware that runs past the legs at either end.
It is a piece that earns its place in daily life. It works as a drinks trolley in the living room, carries tea to the garden, or stands quietly as an occasional side table when nothing needs moving at all.
Carefully restored and refinished in our workshop, with the original castors retained and rolling freely.
The Design — Edvard Kindt-Larsen
Edvard Kindt-Larsen was a Danish architect who worked in partnership with his wife, Tove Kindt-Larsen (1906–94). The couple designed for some of Scandinavia's most respected workshops, among them Thorald Madsens Snedkeri in Denmark and Seffle Möbelfabrik in Sweden. His tray-top trolley for Søborg Møbler, with its removable tray and lower shelf for bottles and glassware, remains one of the most admired serving pieces of the period.
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.
