Peder Moos
Encyclopedia
Peder Moos was a Danish furniture designer and cabinetmaker who crafted nearly all his pieces himself.
, before training as a cabinetmaker in Jutland
and later in Copenhagen
. From 1926 to 1929, he worked in Paris, Geneva and Lausanne. In 1935, he moved into Bredgade
in Copenhagen where he started his own workshop which he maintained for 20 years. He attended evening classes at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he studied under Einar Utzon-Franck and Kaare Klint.
Moos designed a bed that could slide in and out of his window so that he could sleep in the fresh air. He worked in a special way, finding the wood he needed himself and making his furniture before drafting the plans. His pieces, which were made to order, were unique in their elegance. His style is reminiscent of art nouveau
but more delicate and refined. Working mainly with wood, he would sand his pieces several times with very fine sandpaper, washed them off each time. This resulted in an especially fine finish. In place of nails and screws, he used dowels and wedges in another kind of wood, creating special effects almost like marquetry
. He only created some 30 to 40 pieces, but each one is quite dictinctive.
Apart from a trolley and a triangular coffee table manufactured by Fritz Hansen
, Moos produced all his furniture himself. If customers asked what a piece would cost, he would reply: "If we have to think in terms of price, the result will not be as good as it could be. We'll see how it works out. If you think it is too expensive, I'll hold on to the furniture and sell it to someone else." More often than not, customers who left their furniture behind because they thought it was too expensive would change their minds and pick it up a few weeks later.
In 1956, Moos moved to Funen
where he taught at the School of Crafts (Den danske Husflidshøjskole) in Kerteminde
. He opened a workshop in Bredebro
in the south of Jutland in 1962. His furniture has been exhibited in Stockholm, the Hague and New York's MoMA
. It brings in high prices at auctions, a table with silver rivets selling for a record DKK 445,000 in 2005.
Biography
The son of a farmer, he attended Askov Højskole, a folk High SchoolFolk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
, before training as a cabinetmaker in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
and later in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. From 1926 to 1929, he worked in Paris, Geneva and Lausanne. In 1935, he moved into Bredgade
Bredgade
Bredgade is one of the most prominent streets in Copenhagen, Denmark. Running in a straight line from Kongens Nytorv for just under one kilometre to the intersection of Esplanaden and Grønningen, it is one of the major streets in Frederiksstaden, a Rococo district laid out in the middle of the...
in Copenhagen where he started his own workshop which he maintained for 20 years. He attended evening classes at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he studied under Einar Utzon-Franck and Kaare Klint.
Moos designed a bed that could slide in and out of his window so that he could sleep in the fresh air. He worked in a special way, finding the wood he needed himself and making his furniture before drafting the plans. His pieces, which were made to order, were unique in their elegance. His style is reminiscent of art nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
but more delicate and refined. Working mainly with wood, he would sand his pieces several times with very fine sandpaper, washed them off each time. This resulted in an especially fine finish. In place of nails and screws, he used dowels and wedges in another kind of wood, creating special effects almost like marquetry
Marquetry
Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. The technique may be applied to case furniture or even seat furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth, veneerable surfaces or to freestanding pictorial panels...
. He only created some 30 to 40 pieces, but each one is quite dictinctive.
Apart from a trolley and a triangular coffee table manufactured by Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen, also known as Republic of Fritz Hansen is a Danish furniture design company. Designers who have worked for Fritz Hansen include: Arne Jacobsen , Poul Kjærholm , Hans J. Wegner , and Piet Hein...
, Moos produced all his furniture himself. If customers asked what a piece would cost, he would reply: "If we have to think in terms of price, the result will not be as good as it could be. We'll see how it works out. If you think it is too expensive, I'll hold on to the furniture and sell it to someone else." More often than not, customers who left their furniture behind because they thought it was too expensive would change their minds and pick it up a few weeks later.
In 1956, Moos moved to Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
where he taught at the School of Crafts (Den danske Husflidshøjskole) in Kerteminde
Kerteminde
Kerteminde , is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 5,698 . It is a small harbor town surrounded by farms...
. He opened a workshop in Bredebro
Bredebro
Bredebro is a town with a population of 1,486 in Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. The town was the original home of the ECCO shoe manufacturing company....
in the south of Jutland in 1962. His furniture has been exhibited in Stockholm, the Hague and New York's MoMA
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
. It brings in high prices at auctions, a table with silver rivets selling for a record DKK 445,000 in 2005.