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A. Younger Fonseca John Herbert sideboard sideboard vintage
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Very refined and strong design by the prestigious designer John Herbert for the leading firm A. Younger.
John Herbert was a British designer active in the 1950s and 1960s, known for his Scandinavian-style sideboards and high-end exclusive furniture ranges for British furniture manufacturer A. Younger.
It is speculated that Herbert became Head of Design for A. Younger Ltd sometime in the early or mid-1950s. The pioneering company - which produced high-quality modernist furniture - was one of the first to implement the Scandinavian style in its collection, as far back as the 1950s.
They were also one of the first manufacturers to release this style in search of something in true British style. As early as 1955, Younger produced his first teak dining set, the Moselle series. Two years later the teak collection Volany (1957) was introduced, which remained in production for more than ten years.
Award winning designs.
In 1960, Herbert's designs won three awards from the Furniture Makers' Guild, for an (unnamed) sideboard and two dining tables, all of which had a distinct Scandinavian aesthetic.
The sideboard was made of solid afromosia, a tropical African wood that was easier to work with than the more traditional types of teak, which formed the sideboard's veneer.
The first of the two tables combined teak and rosewood veneer, a mixture that would later prove very popular in the 1960s, while the other - presumably from the Fonseca collection (1959) - was made of afromosia to match the dresser to fit.
Small series.
Consistently made in very small runs, John Herbert's designs for A. Younger are of high quality, expensive wood that appealed to the most discerning of customers.
This copy.
This sideboard from the Fonseca series is known as number 746; A purely British development of high quality made in the early 1960s, inspired by the Scandinavian design language, the furniture is made of teak in combination with afromosia parts, in both solid parts and fine veneer.
The very harmonic proportions and the geometric structure of clean and refined lines make it an instant design classic.
The front consists of three drawers with very nice handles that together form 1 whole, they are flanked by doors that give access to a large space, with a fixed shelf on the left.
The way the legs are assembled with the rest of the furniture is masterful, they are integrated on the same base, without strips or brackets or extra screws, joinery and trussing that indicates furniture of the highest quality.
This copy was purchased by a young American couple in England in the early 1960s. The cabinet came to the Netherlands from England in the mid-1960s and was used there until the spring of 2023 as part of a completely original mid century interior.
The cabinet has been very well taken care of, it has a beautiful and authentic patina due to its beautiful drawing and traces of use, these are fully appropriate to its age, and can never be called disturbing in our eyes. Most striking is a piece near the middle drawer, but not detrimental to the operation of the whole.
Already at its introduction, this piece of furniture was a copy for the most demanding customers and enthusiasts, and it still is today. Are you looking for a very unique, high-end piece of furniture from a top manufacturer and with historical value?
Then this cabinet is perfect for you!
Country of origin: England
Brand: A. Younger
Series: Fonseca
Designer: John Herbert
Height: 75.5 cm
Width: 208.5 cm
Depth: 49 cm
ConditionVery goodColorsBrownNumber of items1StyleVintageHeight75 cmWidth208 cmDepth49 cm