The Dining Chairs of Signe Persson-Melin, Sweden, 1940s

Description:

This set of six mahogany dining chairs with cognac leather seats and backs were once owned by one of Sweden's most renowned female ceramicists, Signe Persson-Melin. 

As a teenager, Signe Persson-Melin first began creating ceramics in the early 1940s. She studied at Konstfak- University of Arts, Crafts and Design, in Stockholm, as well as Kunsthåndværkerskolen, also known as the Danish Design School, in Copenhagen before starting her own workshop in 1951 in Malmö, which is where these chairs were purchased, at the department store, Mobila. 

Persson-Melin was renowned for her pared-back, quotidian designs, such as simple, geometric, panelled teapots in tin or ceramic, and textured spice jars with stamped letters. Similarly, these dining chairs owned by Persson-Melin, echo the essence of her own designs: everyday elegance and pared-back, almost rustic, simplicity. 

Whilst the leather on these dining chairs has been carefully restored and strengthened, overall the set displays a uniform patina. A rich honey-colour that has only been enhanced by regular treatment of the leather in-house. 

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Mobila, Malmö, Sweden.

Period of Manufacture: 1940s

Height: 86cm

Width: 51cm

Seat height: 46cm