A rare set of four B9 nesting tables designed by Marcel Breuer at the Bauhaus in 1925–26, representing one of the defining early applications of tubular steel to modern furniture. The B9 was developed from Breuer's experiments with bent tubular steel and was originally designed for the Bauhaus building in Dessau. Its exceptionally simple construction combines bent tubular-steel frames with rectangular wooden tops, allowing the four tables to nest together in a compact, space-saving arrangement. The Museum of Modern Art
This particular set was most likely produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. The B9 design was manufactured by several companies during the period, and documented Czechoslovak examples exist from manufacturers including Vichr and Slezákovy závody. The exact manufacturer of this set has not been identified, and it is therefore offered as a Czech production of the B9 design rather than being attributed definitively to a specific manufacturer.
The construction is characteristic of the early B9 form. Each table is made from bent tubular steel, with the wooden top secured directly to the frame using screws passing through the tube and into the side of the top. This early method of construction is documented in the literature on Breuer's tubular-steel furniture; later examples used metal flanges instead. The Museum of Modern Art
The proportions of the set correspond to documented B9 examples. The largest table measures approximately 60 × 66 × 39 cm, virtually matching the dimensions of the B9 set preserved in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where the largest table measures 60.7 × 66 × 38.7 cm.
The tables remain in original condition consistent with their age and use. The chrome-plated tubular steel retains scattered areas of erosion and age-related surface wear, giving the frames an authentic period patina. The wooden tops are in generally good condition, with scratches and minor surface marks consistent with decades of use.
- Designer: Marcel Breuer
- Model: B9
- Design: 1925–1926
- Production: 1930s
- Manufacturer: Possibly Vichr, Slezákovy závody, or another Czechoslovak manufacturer; exact manufacturer unidentified
- Origin: Czechoslovakia
- Materials: Chrome-plated tubular steel, lacquered wood
- Construction: Bent tubular-steel frames with wooden tops secured directly through the tubes with screws
- Condition: Original condition consistent with age and use; scattered erosion and age-related wear to tubular steel; wooden tops in good condition with scratches and surface marks
- Quantity: Set of 4 nesting tables
- Dimensions – largest: H 60 × W 66 × D 39 cm
- Dimensions – smaller tables: Graduated nesting sizes
| Category: | Tables |
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