$8,000

United States
1941

Boat-shaped coffee table with beveled edges in silvered walnut by the team of German-born American architects Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke, designed for the Museum of Modern Art's 1941 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition, and produced in very small numbers by Red Lion Furniture of Pennsylvania. Per the MoMA catalog, “a design may be called organic when there is an harmonious organization of the parts within the whole, according to structure, material, and purpose. Within this definition there can be no vain ornamentation or superfluity, but the part of beauty is none the less great—in ideal choice of material, in visual refinement, and in the rational elegance of things internded for use.” The suite of furnishings designed by Stonorov and von Moltke---including a vanity, coffee table, dining set, bed, nightstand, and case pieces--won honorable mention at the seminal competition and received a preferred placement at the MoMA exhibition itself. The winning entries in the competition, which included the iconic seating and unit furniture by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, were showcased at eleven department stores across the country--notably Bloomingdale's and Kaufmann's--and were intended for serial production, but America's entry into WWII a month after the opening of the exhibition, along with higher than expected price points across the board meant that few pieces were actually made outside the ones initially sent to the participating department stores. This was especially true for the Stonorov and von Moltke suite, which wound up being among the most expensive items at the show due to the quality of materials and construction. Stonorov, the senior member of the team, apprenticed with the sculptor Aristide Maillol and the architect Andre Lurcat in Europe before emigrating to America in 1929. Ref: Organic Design in Home Furnishings, Noyes, pp. 22-25. See also the MoMA installation photo below.

Condition
Good overall condition with areas of wear and variegation consistent with age and use. Sanding and clear coating to the top; polishing and clear coating to the base. Faint ring mark to the top.

Measurements
Height: 19 in.
Width/length: 39.5 in.
Depth: 20.5 in.

Specifications
Number of items: 1
Materials/techniques: Silvered walnut