Carl Malmsten
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a coral lacquered sideboard, Sweden post 1926, probably by David Blomberg.
Three drawers, the frieze decorated with stylized flowers against a white background. Length 141 cm, depth 52 cm, height 85 cm.
Originally part of a set of furniture ordered by the sculptor Carl Milles for his residence in the USA,
Faded, wear.
Provenance
Property of a Stockholm Collection.
This sideboard was originally part of a set of Malmsten furniture ordered by the Swedish sculptor Carl Milles for Milles' residence in the USA.
Literature
Ed. Otto Schulz, "Tidskriften Boet", 1928, p 16, a same model sideboard is depicted and exhibited at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1928.
According to the Malmsten Archives this set was designed in 1926 and executed by Blombergs. There is also a same model sideboard at Millesgården in Stockholm today.
Designer
Carl Malmsten is one of Sweden's most famous furniture designers. Many of his furniture are considered modern design classics, for example, the cane chair "Lilla Åland", the armchair "Farmor", the sofa "Samsas", the cabinet "Herrgården", and the furniture series "Vardag".
Both "Lilla Åland" and "Vardag" adopted the ideals of "beautiful everyday goods" of the 1940s. Their neat shape and frugal design quickly became timeless interior details that we still see in many homes today.
At the beginning of his career, Malmsten interned at various carpentry workshops and studied furniture at Nordiska museet and Skansen. He had his breakthrough in 1916 when he was commissioned to design part of the interior of Stockholm's City Hall.
During his career, Malmsten collaborated with several architects, such as Ragnar Östberg, Ivar Tengbom, and Ferdinand Boberg. He designed furniture for Stockholm's concert hall and Ulriksdal castle. He participated in the now iconic hosing exhibition at Liljevalchs gallery in 1917, where the term "Beautiful everyday goods" was coined.