Tafelpoten c. 1901

These ‘Tafelpoten’, or table legs, were designed by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof on paper, and they reveal a lot about the relationship between design and making. While the image shows a simple drawing, envisioning the legs in wood opens up a conversation about material, process and social context. Note the elegant curves, suggesting the maker's expertise in shaping wood, with the possibility of the woodworker using hand tools like drawknives and spokeshaves to achieve these forms. One leg incorporates an elaborate carved ornamentation, and this emphasizes the value of skilled craftsmanship. The design emphasizes the amount of handwork involved in the process. This is important because it was during this period that furniture production moved towards industrialization. Dijsselhof seems to have resisted this shift. Looking closely at the amount of work, we can begin to understand the value placed on both materials and the skills of those who made our everyday objects.