Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke Organic Design Nightstand

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Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke Organic Design Nightstand

About the Item

Nightstand 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. The Organic Design nightstand shows these influences in its architectural bearing—a box raised on pilotis—and in the sculptural contours of the tapering legs and the rounded handle. Ref: Organic Design in Home Furnishings, Noyes, pp. 22-25

Creator:
Red Lion Furniture (Manufacturer),Oscar Stonorov and Willo von Moltke (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 16 in (40.64 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)
Style:
Organic Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Walnut
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1941
Condition:
Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Fine structural condition with light refurbishing--cleaning, polishing, clear-coating, retaining original finish. A few minor blemishes consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU828520852502

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