Nanna Ditzel and Jørgen Ditzel - Design London Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | Phillips
  • ''Look out into nature, there are no right angles!''
    —Nanna Ditzel
    Inspired by the organic forms found in nature, the present lot features an eye-catching and dynamic undulating backrest. Animated yet soft in its shape, the sofa is inviting with its cosy and supportive structure, which gently accommodates its users. In past correspondence, the daughter of Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel, Dennie, recounts that a very small number of these sofas were made, perhaps even fewer than ten, with the limited volume of production due possibly to the costs associated with the unusual curves and joins, and subsequent complexity of upholstering the piece.


    Also commenting on the design philosophy of her parents, the younger Ditzel recalled Nanna and Jørgen's consistently collaborative approach of working together and equally prioritising both form and function in their furniture pieces. Their process was shared and hands-on, each taking turns leading the design work to repeatedly introduce a new perspective into the practice throughout the phases of creation. Unconventional and playful strategies, such climbing on top of a table to consider a room's proportions from an unfamiliar vantage point, introduced fresh ideas and novel elements across the Ditzels' oeuvre and avoided stagnation in their conceptualisation. The result of the couple's harmonious working relationship is apparent in the present sofa. Lovingly nicknamed the 'heart sofa', this rare and desirable piece comfortably provides room for two while also welcoming conversation.

    • Condition Report

    • Description

      View our Conditions of Sale.

    • Provenance

      Private collection, Copenhagen

    • Literature

      Dansk Kunsthaandvaerk, Copenhagen, November 1950, p. 192
      Henrik Sten Møller, Motion and Beauty: The Book of Nanna Ditzel, Copenhagen, 1998, p. 43
      Hanne Horsfeld, Danske Designere: Nanna Ditzel, Denmark, 2007, p. 20

80

Rare two-seater sofa

circa 1949
Fabric, beech.
76.4 x 146.5 x 71.7 cm (30 1/8 x 57 5/8 x 28 1/4 in.)
Executed by master cabinetmaker Knud Willadsen, Lillerød, Denmark.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£12,000 - 18,000 

Place Advance Bid
Contact Specialist

Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
 

Design

London Auction 13 November 2024