Peder Moos (27 January 1906, in

Sønderborg (; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 28,333 (1 January 2025),Tønder Tønder (; ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality. History The first mention of Tønder might have been in th ...

) was a Danish furniture designer and cabinetmaker who crafted nearly all his pieces himself. The son of a farmer, he attended Askov Højskole, a

folk High School Folk high schools (also ''adult education center'') are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal. They are most commonly found in Nordic countries and i ...

, before training as a cabinetmaker in

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

and later in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. From 1926 to 1929, he worked in Paris, Geneva and Lausanne. In 1935, he moved into

Bredgade Bredgade (literal translation, lit. "Broad Street") 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, Copenhagen, Esplanaden ...

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 The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

where he studied under Einar Utzon-Franck and

Kaare Klint Kaare Klint (15 December 1888 – 28 March 1954) was a Danish architect and furniture designer, known as the father of modern Danish furniture design. His style was epitomized by clean, pure lines, use of the best materials of his time and ...

."Peder Moos: Dansk arkitekt, møbelsnedker og formgiver"
''Gravsted.dk''. Retrieved 15 November 2011. 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 ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

but more delicate and refined. Working mainly with wood, he would sand his pieces several times with very fine sandpaper, washing 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 (also spelled as marqueterie; from the French ''marqueter'', to variegate) is the art and craft of applying pieces of wood veneer, veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns or designs. The technique may be applied to case furn ...

. He only created some 30 to 40 pieces, but each one is quite distinctive.Gitte Just, "Peder Moos"
''Fri'', 20 October 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2011. 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 Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

where he taught at the School of Crafts (''Den danske Husflidshøjskole'') in

Kerteminde Kerteminde (nickname: ''Min Amandas by'', i.e. ''My Amanda's town''), is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 6,128 (1 January 2025).

. 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 The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

. It brings in high prices at auctions, a table with silver rivets selling for a record DKK 445,000 in 2005. In 2015, one of his dining tables were sold for 6 million DKK and in 2016 a stool were sold for DKK 860.000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moos, Peder Danish furniture designers 1906 births 1991 deaths Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni People from Sønderborg Municipality

See also

References