Dining Table 251
Table lay thyself!
EXHIBITED AT STRANDVÄGEN 5
06-09-2024– 20-10-2024
For a long time, the epithet “Queen of Table Setting” has been attributed to Svenskt Tenn’s founder Estrid Ericson. And not surprisingly. When Svenskt Tenn celebrated its fifth anniversary, an exhibition was held called “Flower Arrangements and Table Decorations” and in 1933 Estrid Ericson made her debut as a table setting artist in the exhibition “Bord duka dig!” (Table Lay Thyself!), held here on Strandvägen. It was an exhibition that received rave reviews in the press with the words: “Every table was a poem...”
In a 1945 radio programme dedicated entirely to table setting, Estrid Ericson shared her thoughts and advice on the subject. She emphasised the importance of bringing beauty into everyday life and letting attractive things take centre stage, without going overboard. “…Our meals are so important for life’s happiness that we should make an effort to make it a pleasant event...”
The centenary year's major autumn exhibition at Svenskt Tenn is a journey through time and style, and at the same time an insight into Estrid Ericson as a person. Her table setting philosophy is reborn here through tables arranged with inspiration from settings throughout the history of Svenskt Tenn, from 1924 to 2024. Each table and object reveal its own story of creativity, elegance and timeless beauty. Throughout the exhibition you can read excerpts from the 1945 radio programme about table settings.
Estrid Ericson“Real flowers have always been the most beautiful table decoration. Chalices and vessels were decorated with flowers, guests were wreathed, flowers were strewn over the tablecloth, meals were eaten under the open sky and in gardens, in arbours with all the wonders of nature.”
Estrid Ericson“The cosiness and refinement that dwell in a home make life beautiful and rich.”
A small Champagne glass with cup, simple yet elegant, that is suitable for all types of table settings and occasions.
Estrid Ericson“Don’t clutter the table with too much cutlery. Take out what is needed after the main course. It is not attractive to have the dessert cutlery above or diagonally above the plate. The spartan is often the luxurious.”
Josef Frank’s brass ceiling lamps are distinguished by their bare, visible lamp bulbs, bringing to mind Art Nouveau and the birth of the electric lamp.
Estrid Ericson“The pleasures of the table are the first and last pleasures of all ages and all classes of society. We sit at the table more than a thousand times every year of our lives, and our meal is so important for happiness in life, that we should make an effort to turn it into a pleasant occasion. We should make the most of everything that can give it poetry and pleasure.”
Each item in Carina Seth Andersson’s Minerva dinner set has its own unique character.
Estrid Ericson“The napkin is at its best when it is freshly mangled (ironed) and folded so simply that a beautiful monogram is visible. More and more people are abandoning the intricate folds, which make the napkin look tattered and wrinkled.”
Estrid Ericson“Beautiful lighting refers to cosy light, not an expensive lamp. The lamp is just a means to achieve the lighting. Pleasant lighting over the dining table can be achieved in the simplest way: with a cord, a bulb with a holder, and a lampshade made of paper or fabric, which gives more light downwards rather than upwards.”
Estrid Ericson“Like a tree with its growth rings, a home is built and setting up house is not obtained at once. There are probably a few inherited things in most homes, and there is great charm in mixing old and new.”
Estrid Ericson“The meal can be as simple as you like, but there must be something personal about it. Routine, the commonplace and a lack of originality are as bad as poor taste. Daily life should not be stereotypical. We should not use our beautiful things only when we have guests. Grey everyday life needs colour!”
Estrid Ericson“Table setting is very much in fashion at the moment. Too much, I think.... It has inspired excesses, attempts to create something sensational and remarkable on the table. And that’s not the point at all.”
