Mid2Mod: Peder Moos

Monday, October 22, 2012

Peder Moos

Peder Moos (1906-1991) was a Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer. His work is not well-known, probably because most of his items were one-of-a-kind custom ordered designs. Over the course of his entire career, he only produced 30-40 pieces, all of which he made himself, except for a cart and a triangular table which were manufactured by Fritz Hansen.

Moos was the son of a farmer and once told an interviewer that his talent with wood manifested itself spontaneously when he was three years old, as if his technique were instinctive. He was educated at Askov Højskole, a folk high school, an institution for adult education that does not grant a degree. In 1935 he opened his own workshop and took night classes at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Kaare Klint.

Moos never applied a finish to any of his furniture. He used extremely fine sandpaper and washed the piece after each sanding. This gave the wood a very delicate appearance. He also refused to use nails or screws. Instead he used dowels and wedges in a contrasting wood, creating beautiful special effects.

From fri.dk