Estrid Ericson and friends

When history settles down and becomes discernible from a few decades away, individual figures and their contributions occasionally rise above events, epochal shifts, and changing ideals. Singular individuals who, more or less on their own, have influenced and driven taste in new directions. One such person is undoubtedly Estrid Ericson.

She trained as a drawing teacher in her youth but soon became associated with the interior design industry. In 1924, she founded Svenskt Tenn in collaboration with the artist Nils Fougstedt. Alongside him, a handful of designers supplied the movement with mixed articles, of which furniture may have been the most progressive. In 1927, the business moved to Strandvägen, and a few years later, Josef Frank was hired, whose organic and warm interpretation of modernism fundamentally changed Svenskt Tenn. The rest, of course, is history but remains just as relevant now as ever before.

At the Kolonn Auction House, we get a taste of the expression that has stood as a leader in Swedish interior design for a century. The centerpiece is a lovely green example of Josef Frank's Corrugated Cardboard Cabinet. Alongside the smallest item in the theme, a lion brooch by Anna Petrus, it demonstrates the breadth of Svenskt Tenn's range. From Frank's drawing board, we also see armchairs, the intricate Tutankhamun stool, lamps, and patterned textiles. This is accompanied by pewter works by Nils Fougstedt and Edvin Öhrström, plus a couple of items from Svenskt Tenn's 2000s collection.

Welcome to meet Estrid Ericson and friends!