"The Partners Desk stands as a prime example of a streamlined work desk, where all excess has been meticulously pared away ⏤ a hallmark trait mirroring my father's design ethos"
- Mogens S. Koch, son of Mogens Koch
The rare 'Partners Desk' by Mogens Koch was first shown at the Cabinetmakers' Guild Furniture Exhibition in 1938 for master cabinetmaker N. C. Jensen Kjær ⏤ the same year in which Koch was awarded the prestigious Eckersberg Medal, which honours work of high artistic quality.
Mogens Koch was a Danish furniture designer and architect who was born in 1898 and was active in the mid to late 20th Century. He is known for his contributions to the 'Danish Modern' movement, which was a style of design that emerged in Denmark in the 1930s and was characterised by a focus on simplicity, functionality, and natural materials, which Koch took with him in all his designs.
Although the worktable was not exhibited until 1938, the first one was already made in 1935 for Gertie Wandel (1894-1988), who was one of the central female figures in Danish arts and crafts. It was made by master cabinetmaker N. C. Jensen Kjær and was later also made by master cabinetmaker Jacob Kjær.
It is known that a total of 13 tables were made in the period between 1935 and 1953, when the last one was made. Among the acquirers were the Kunstindustrimuseet (today Designmuseum Danmark) in 1939 and Knud W. Jensen (museum director of the Louisiana of Modern Art) in 1952 and 1953.
The current mahogany worktable in our collection is the 4th worktable to be made and was made specifically for the exhibition 'Danish Arts and Crafts' (Danish: Dansk Kunsthaandværk) at the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1942. An exhibition of which Koch was responsible for both in terms of the selection of objects as well as their presentation.
The worktable was purchased by the exhibition the same year and was the first table not to be made with a leather top, as the previous three were. The desk is designed to be used by two people - hence the name the 'Partners Desk' - and is therefore a large and functional table with two drawers on each side for storage, supported by four sturdy legs with brass shoes.
In addition to his work as a designer and architect, Koch was also involved in the Danish Architects Association and the Danish Design Council. He received numerous awards and recognitions during his career, including the aforementioned Eckersberg Medal (1938), the C. F. Hansen Medal (1963) and the Furniture Award (1982).
Get a closer look at the table here
Literature
’Dansk Møbelkunst Gennem 40 Aar’ by Grete Jalk. Volume 2: 1937-1946, described on page 54-57 & ’Danish Furniture Design in the 20th Century’ by Arne Karlsen. Described on page 30.