Wall Shelf

Wall Shelf (~1960)

Pearwood.
10" (H) x 20" (W) x 6" (D)

This is an early wall shelf made by James Krenov at the beginning of his career in the early 1960s. While he would come to be known for his wall and floor-standing cabinets, Krenov’s earliest work was deeply influenced by the common forms that graced Scandinavian homes.

This piece features a rare bit of figure carving done by Krenov, the floral drawer pull, which shows his teacher Carl Malmsten’s influence and Krenov’s dexterity with carving. Krenov made a number of these wall shelves, many of which were displayed in the small handwork galleries of Stockholm in his first shows to the Swedish public in the early 1960s.

This particular piece was present at his first solo show, “Liv I Trä,” at the “Hantverket” gallery in Central Stockholm.