Mid-century Elias Svedberg for Nordiska Kompaniet Trivia Safari Chair c.1950s

ABOUT

This is an original mid-century modern safari armchair with a wooden base, leather straps and original Astrid Sampe gold fabric with blue stripes. This chair was part of the Trivia line designed to be flat packed and the purchaser would assemble at home. A precursor to products sold today. This piece has retained its original finish and has the appropriate condition for the age and use.

• CREATOR Elisa Svedberg for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden. Astrid Sampe.
  
• DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1950s.
• MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES Wood, Leather, Astrid Sampe Fabric.
  
• CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Missing some blue stripes. Scuffs on leather and wood.
  
• DIMENSIONS H 28 in. x W 24 in. x D 24.5 in. Seat Height 13 in.

HISTORY

Elias Svedberg was an architect and designer with a long career at NK, starting in the mid-1940s when he and Lena Larsson started developing the very successful “Triva” concept. The idea suggested that quality furniture were to be sold in flat packages and assembled by the customer – a concept that spanned decades and was a forerunner to other successful businesses picking up on the idea.  Svedberg was the head of NK’s interior design department from 1952 to 1961 and together with Lena Larsson he wrote the classic book “Heminredning” (“Home interior design”). The book is pervaded by a strong incentive to educate and cultivate the reader in creating a pleasant and practical home.

Astrid Sampe (27 May 1909–1 January 2002) was a Swedish textile designer who for a large part of her professional life was affiliated with the textile department at Nordiska Kompaniet but also worked for several other textile producers.