Saturday, November 27, 2010

In the manner of...

When searching for vintage furniture, the term in the manner of crops up frequently.  Sometimes it's used to denote a piece of furniture that is not marked and whose provenance is unknown.  Other times it's used to indicate a piece that is very similar, but not quite of the same quality, as a known work by an acclaimed designer.

I'm fascinated by the number of designs that are borrowed so liberally.  I have a vintage Lane coffee table in my study/guestroom.  I've always loved it, and after my post on Grete Jalk, now I know why.  It's practically an exact replica of one of her designs...same upturned lip on the top, same legs, same bar supporting the  magazine shelf underneath. The only discernible difference is that there are nine spindles on Jalk's and seven on the Lane.

I guess the term for that is Nobody cares about your Danish patent.
Grete Jalk teak coffee table for Glostrup Mobelfabrik, 1960s
danishmodernla.com

My walnut Lane coffee table, 1960s
at

2 comments:

  1. Rhan VintageNovember 27, 2010 at 12:02 PM

    Absolutely stunning. I love the upturned edges and slatted second shelf. What a beauty!

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  2. Dana@Mid2ModNovember 27, 2010 at 3:20 PM

    Can you believe a friend gave me this coffee table and a matching end table as a token of appreciation because I took a few photos and posted an ad on Craigslist for him? He was so thrilled when the items sold quickly that he wanted to do something nice for me. I think I came out waaaaaaaay ahead, and I almost felt bad about taking such a nice gift...but my greedy little alter ego who frequently whispers in my ear said, "Go ahead. Take it already!"

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