Axel Einar Hjorth
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a special commissioned, oak 'Utö' corner cabinet, Nordiska Kompaniet 1932.
The upper part with shelves, the lower part with a door, marked with a maker's metal label NK R 36372- C25707. Height 184 cm, width 90 cm, the side 70 cm.
Minor wear. Key is missing.
Provenance
This corner cabinet ‘Utö’ in oak is manufactured and marked by Nordiska Kompaniet's workshops and is probably the second example of a pair of model ‘Utö’ ever made in oak. The cabinet was a special commission for businessman Adolf Stålbo in 1932. The cabinet was most likely a part of the complete set of "Utö" furniture exhibited at NK's spring exhibition in 1932, which was acquired by Stålbo.
Designer
Axel Einar Hjorth is considered one of Sweden's most significant furniture designers during the 1920s and 30s. Hjorth's early employers included Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors and the Stockholm Crafts Association. The big breakthrough came as chief architect for Nordiska Kompaniet, a position he took up in 1927 and held until 1938. Hjorth's first major assignment was the Nordiska Kompaniet's lavish stand at the World Exhibition in Barcelona in 1929, to then participate in several major international exhibitions during the following decade. In 1929, Hjorth also breaks new ground and designs the first series of rustic furniture in stained pine, the so-called sports cabin furniture that was named "Lovö", "Utö" and "Sandhamn" after the islands in the Stockholm archipelago.
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