Gustav Stickley Library Table No. 401 [SOLD]

“The furniture Gustav Stickley introduced (in the early 1900s) is the first expression of an emerging American Arts and Crafts style that is indebted to various historical and cultural influences.  Harking back to an earlier time, Stickley sought inspiration in the Alpine chalet, Tudor cottage, Japanese teahouse and Spanish mission. Yet, his imperative to simplify and remove superfluous ornamentation, appears in these early pieces.  Some examples relate to traditional designs from regions of Europe and Asia. In others, a sense of Stickley’s experiment with Art Nouveau is distinctly evident, as in the conventionalized plant forms used in some of the earlier selections.  The ‘mission’ furniture (of Stickley) acknowledges designs emanating from the new social awareness that was evolving in the United States and abroad.” Gray, 1987:9

This library table is listed in Stickley’s 1901 catalog, although its production was probably continued for a decade or so.  The table probably dates to 1902-1903. It is stamped with Stickley’s red shop mark known as United Crafts Mark.

Gustav Stickley took the rare step of labeling his Craftsman furniture with a shop mark.  He chose a joiner's compass as his logo with the phrase "Als ik kan" (To the best of my ability) inscribed within and his signature underneath.

Condition: very good condition with normal wear pattern

Provenance: this Gustav Stickley Library Table No. 401 is from a family in Santa Fe

Reference: The Early Works of Gustav Stickley by Stephen Gray, published by Turn of the Century Editions, New York, 1987

Relative Links: Mission Oak Furniture, Gustav Stickley