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Tables! Tables! Tables!

OTW (Occasional Table Wood)

1952

Tables from this first collection of Eames molded plywood furniture were available with metal or, as seen in this example, molded plywood bases. Its top consists of five layers of plywood that were fused together using heat, glue, and pressure. The Eames “systems” approach is evident here; the legs of this table are similar to those that are also used as the back legs of the DCW (Dining Chair Wood). While the Eameses did not originate this production process (using heat to bend plywood into curving forms dates to the mid-19th century), they contributed significantly to its refinement and popularization. The designers, together with Herman Miller, promoted molded plywood as a material that was affordable, lightweight yet durable, and easy to care for—qualities that were championed by modernists in the post-war era.

  • Manufacturer: Herman Miller, Inc.
  • Medium:Micarta, birch plywood
  • Dimensions:15 1/2 x 24 x 35 in. (39.4 x 61 x 88.9 cm)
  • Design Date:1945
  • Item:2019.13.1