'American Foundation' Desk

Steel tubular frame, "shoes” of black lacquered wood. Top and moveable tray covered with original black leather. Blue lacquered wood drawers. Tray: 34×40 cm. Provenance: Friend of Arne Jacobsen. Literature: Carsten Thau & Kjeld Vindum: “Jacobsen”, ill. and mentioned p. 388. In 1952, Arne Jacobsen was tasked with designing an interior for the Office of the American-Scandinavian Foundation in New York. The furniture was a gift from the shipbuilding company Burmeister & Wain, and the pieces were made by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers. Included in this interior was a desk basically identical to the present desk, but with a different surface. The pieces never went into serial production, but with minor variations a few desks were made, apparently for friends or family of Arne Jacobsen.