A Good Egg

ARNE JACOBSEN (1902-1971) was an architect and designer who approached his work from both perspectives, making major contributions to Functionalism and Danish Modern style. With its organic, sculptural form, the Egg chair is recognized as an iconic furniture design both in Denmark and around the world, with many considering it Jacobsen’s principal design. The development of the chair was based on a new technological approach. Instead of a steel frame and wood, the chairs were shaped in a hard foam material that was then padded and upholstered. Jacobsen experimented with plaster and, like a sculptor, he used these malleable materials to work out the characteristic shape of the Egg, creating a design with a harmonious sculptural expression that immediately earned it a central place in design history.

This Jacobsen Egg chair and ottoman recently sold for $2,016 at Wright auction house.

Jacobsen Egg Chair and Ottoman

Walter Lamb Furniture

With outdoor entertaining undergoing a resurgence, iconic midcentury outdoor furniture is getting more attention. Furniture designed by Walter Lamb is considered some of the best from that era. Starting in 1947, Lamb designed patio and yard furniture with distinctive curved lines and durable materials for Brown Jordan, a company founded in 1945. Brown Jordan, still in […]

Midcentury Modern Tables

Tables by well-known mid-20th-century American furniture designers are attracting interest and higher prices among collectors. A recent Heritage auction in Dallas offered coffee and side tables in modern forms and unconventional materials. The top price of $42,500 was paid for an English walnut Conoid dining table made in 1970 by George Nakashima. An American woodworker, […]

Heinrich & Co.

Q: I inherited a 10-piece set of midcentury modern dishes. My mother-in-law bought them in the 1960s. I thought I’d consign them to a local shop. Unfortunately, no shop here is interested. Before donating them, I’d like to find out about them and their value. They are marked “H & Co., Selb, Bavaria, Germany, Heinrich” and “Carole Stupell.” A dealer online has a place setting of five pieces for $700. Since my set is larger, I thought it might be worth more. Do they have any value?

A: The initials “H & Co.” stand for Heinrich & Co., founded by Franz Heinrich. He began decorating porcelain in Bavaria in 1896 and started his own porcelain factory in Selb in 1901. Heinrich & Co. was one of the largest porcelain manufacturers in Germany. Production stopped during World War II, but the company began production again after the war. After several changes in ownership, the factory was taken over by Villeroy & Boch in 1976. Carole Stupell is a gift shop in New York City started in 1929. Sets of dishes are difficult to sell – too many pieces to pack and ship and out-of-style patterns. Perhaps you can donate your dishes to a charity and get a tax deduction.  To sell as a set you need at least six, five-piece place settings.

Gustavsberg

The twentieth-century ceramics made by the Gustavsberg factory in Sweden were in the art deco style. Best-known is the 1930s Argenta Ware, green or blue glazed stoneware with silver-inlay decorations. The company was founded in 1827 near Stockholm, Sweden. At first it made transfer-printed creamware in the English style and, by the 1860s, majolica. Bone […]

Midcentury Modern Storage Furniture

Finding enough storage is always challenging. Midcentury cabinets, drawers, and shelves by known designers are hot right now. They easily blend into most interiors and good prices can be found at auction. Wright in Chicago included a selection of modern storage pieces by midcentury designers like Eames and Nelson. Most sold for under $2,000. Husband […]