Vintage walnut coffee table "2139" by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Austria 1952

This luxurious 2139 round table was designed by Josef Frank for the Swedish manufacturer Svenskt Tenn in 1952 and subsequently manufactured. The table is made of walnut and its characteristic element is the richly decorated elm burr top. Josef Frank is a master of round shapes. It is found in many of his designs, from the windows of his architectural works to mirrors and tables. The 2139 coffee table combines the round shape with Josef Frank's typical coaming. The three legs taper downward, giving it a sense of lightness, reinforced by the upper "waist". It was characteristic of Josef Frank to mix different materials and by making the table top out of elm root and the rim and legs out of walnut, he wanted to create a living appearance.The burl is the growth of a tree in which the grain has grown in a deformed way. The growths result in a very distinctive and strongly shaped wood, valued for its beauty and rarity. It is sought after by furniture makers, artists and sculptors. They are highly prized and cut into veneers for luxury furniture, expensive musical instruments or the finishing of car interiors.Josef Frank was an Austrian architect, co-founder of the Vienna School of Architecture. After studying at the Technical University of Vienna, he taught from 1919 to 1925 at the School of Arts and Crafts in Vienna. Together with Oskar Strnad, he founded the Viennese School of Architecture, which established a specific position within modernist house, apartment and interior design. Frank was one of the co-founders of the Viennese Werkbund and in 1932 was the project manager of the Viennese Werkbund estate. In 1934, Frank emigrated to Sweden, where, in addition to his work as an architect, he began designing furniture and interior fittings, such as fabric patterns, wallpapers and carpets, working for the company Svenskt Tenn.Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, who recruited Josef Frank ten years later. Together, they created an elegant, boldly patterned interior design style that still permeates the line today. The table is still in production and is one of the company's icons.This table is in original vintage condition. It shows signs of age-related use.