A compact architectural statement from the golden years of Dutch Art Deco, this Amsterdam School side table balances sculptural restraint with luxurious macassar ebony detail.
Executed in solid oak and oak veneer, the piece is conceived as a rhythmic composition of planes and recesses. The silhouette is rectilinear and grounded, yet animated by subtle carving in macassar ebony along both front and back uprights. These vertical elements, identical on either side, feature softly modeled, rounded cut-outs that create a gentle cadence of light and shadow. The stepped feet anchor the form with a distinctly architectural gesture, a hallmark of the Amsterdam School’s expressive geometry.
The top is in quartered oak veneer arranged in a dynamic pattern converges toward a central inlaid star crafted in macassar ebony. The contrast between the honeyed oak and the deep espresso tones of the ebony lends the piece both depth and sophistication.
Two open shelves provide practical storage. The proportions suggest it may have originally served as a drink table beside an armchair, with a glass resting above and books neatly housed within the shelving below. Its open construction allows it to function beautifully as a bedside table, a small occasional table, or a compact bookstand in a reading corner.
The sides are paneled in oak veneer, framed with subtle dark edgingl. The design is cohesive from every angle, demonstrating the Amsterdam School’s commitment to sculptural integrity and craftsmanship.
A refined and versatile example of 1920s Dutch design, combining architectural strength with intimate scale.
About the style called 'Amsterdamse School'
''Amsterdamse School'' is a collective name for the exuberant, imaginative and innovative design style from the period 1910-1930 by a diverse group of Dutch architects, interior designers and sculptors. Influential architects and designers include Michel De Klerk, Hildo Krop, Piet Kramer en J.M. van der Meij.
The Amsterdam School embodies several contradictions. It is an architecture that is instantly recognisable yet difficult to define. It celebrates the communal and the social yet gives almost infinite room for individual expression. It can look hyper-modern yet curiously medieval. And, at its most creative, it can be utterly, infectiously bizarre.
Amsterdam School architects designed a lot of exteriors and interiors in Amsterdam, but the style spreaded further all around the Netherlands. The Hague has its own variant, called The Hague School.
Creator
Unknown
Design Period
1920s
Production Period
1920s
Country of Manufacture
Netherlands
Identifying Marks
No
Style
Dutch Art Deco, Amsterdam School, Amsterdamse School, Arts & Crafts
