"John Van Koert for Drexel" Dining Table and Chairs

John Van Koert designed silverware and furniture that helped to introduce modernist shapes. Born in Manitoba, Canada, he later moved to Milwaukee, where he studied at the University of Wisconsin to be a painter and sculptor and taught design in the art department. After World War II, he settled in New York as a jewelry designer for Harry Winston and branched out into industrial design.
His flatware designs in silver for Towle were well known in the 50's. One of them, ''Contour,'' a sleek Miro-like design, was chosen to represent modernism in ''Knife, Fork and Spoon,'' a 1951 traveling exhibition on the history of eating implements organized by the Walter Art Center of Minneapolis.
In 1954, he was exhibition director of ''Design in Scandinavia,'' a show that traveled for three years, to venues including the Brooklyn Museum of Art; it helped introduce Scandinavian modern design to Americans.  Most of his furniture designs were done for Drexel.

This drop leaf dining table from the  Drexel "Profile Collection" measures 70" long when the leaves are extended, 26" long when the leaves are dropped and it has 3 additional leaves.  Each additional leaf is 12", which allows for a fully extended table of 106".  The table is 42" wide and 29" high. It comes with the original table pads.  Each of the four chairs measure 18" to the seat and 32" to the top of the back rest. They are 19" wide at the seat.  American c. 1950's SOLD