Danish Nesting Tables in Mahogany by Severin Hansen Jr. and Nils Thorsson for Haslev Møbelsnedkeri and Royal Copenhagen, 1970s, Set of 3

Danish furniture designer Severin Hansen Jr. is best remembered for his table and desk designs in the classic, Danish midcentury modern style. In the 1950s and early '60s, his work was produced by Haslev Møbelsnedkeri—a furniture manufacturer located in the small town of Haslev, close to Copenhagen—as well as Dutch manufacturer Bovenkamp. Hansen's also known for his collaboration with venerable Danish porcelain company Royal Copenhagen, which produced a series of rosewood tables surfaced with ceramic tiles handpainted and glazed by artists like Grethe Helland-Hansen and Nils Thorssen.

Though little is known about Hansen’s life, his designs are increasingly popular among vintage lovers, who hold him in high esteem for his high quality joinery and materials. Hansen’s dining tables, nesting tables, coffee tables, and sewing tables were produced almost exclusively in rosewood and mahogany, with a small number made from teak. Minimalist in detail, they are characterized by angular silhouettes and tapered legs—exemplars of 1960s Scandinavian idiom.

Swedish-Danish ceramic artist and designer Nils Johan Thorvald Thorsson (1898–1975) created a prolific body of work for the ceramics manufacturer Royal Copenhagen. His work is often presented as an exemplar of mid-century Danish modernism and is praised in the field of ceramic design.

Thorsson was born in Eslöv, Sweden  in 1898. At the age of thirteen he apprenticed at the Alumina Factory in Copenhagen, before studying at and graduating from the Royal Danish Academy in 1917. Just over a decade later, he was appointed Artistic Director of Alumina in 1928, a post which he held for forty-one years.  When Alumina purchased Royal Copenhagen in 1949, Thorsson stayed on as Artistic Director of the merged company, leading a team of talented designers which included Bethe Breyen, Kari Christensen, Johanne Gerber, Grete Helland-Hansen, Berte Jessen, Marianne Johnson, Inge Lise-Koefoed, Ellen Malmer, and Ivan Weiss, among others.

Thorsson’s work as a designer varied greatly theamatically, from the naturalistic featuring birds, fish, and butterfly motifs, to the abstract and geometric. During his time at Royal Copenhagen, Thorsson was the factory's most prolific designer, designing at least five of  the best known production ranges for the company including Solberg (1930s); Marselis (Alumina, 1950s), which was an elegant, yet affordable line for everyday use; Tenera (1960s); Baca (1960s), which features highly detailed and complex relief patterns; and Diana (1970s), as well as many other pieces in glazes that are lesser known and harder to find on the vintage market. Both the Baca and Tenera Series featured forms designed by Thorsson himself, while other were a team effort. Objects and patterns by Thorsson are marked with his cypher on the base.

Thorsson passed away in 1975 in Copenhagen. Today, his mid-century earthenware designs are coveted by collectors and vintage lovers alike.