Danish Tables

 

Q: I have three teak tables in great condition that were made in Denmark and purchased from late 1950s on. There are two side tables and a coffee table. This metal badge is on the bottom. It looks like it has two letter Fs, one upright and one upside down. I would like to sell the tables. Who made them and what is their value?

A: Your tables were made between 1957 and the early 1960s by France & Søn, a manufacturer of high-end furniture. The company was founded in 1948 by Charles France, a British businessman, and Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker. It was originally known as France & Daverkosen. The name became France & Søn after Charles’ son, James, joined the business in 1957. Teak furniture wasn’t originally mass-produced because the wood is gummy or waxy and quickly dulls a sawblade. Charles France developed a new type of sawblade in 1953 and the mass-production of Danish modern furniture became possible. The company became a leader in the manufacture of teak furniture and was the largest importer of teak wood from Thailand for several years. The company was sold in 1964. Several well-known Danish designers worked for France & Søn and some of the furniture sells for more than a thousand dollars. You should contact an auction house if you plan on selling your tables.