H 370 Coffee Table by Jindrich Halabala

Officially listed as model H 370 but this coffee table is nicknamed the ‘Spider table’ thanks to the shape of its legs and is a prime example of the modernist aesthetic adopted by many Czech families.

Designed by Jindrich Halabala at UP Brno, the table was in production from the 1930s to the late 1950s. This particular piece is believed to be produced during the 1950s and has got a particularly beautiful walnut veneer.

After 1948 all furniture production in the Czechoslovakia was only organised through the state and it controlled manufacturing companies across the country. For some time they continued producing furniture design in pre War time but sometimes with some slight adjustments. This is exactly the case with this piece. It looks identical to the original model from 1930s (including the striking veneer so popular at the time) apart from one small detail; the legs are joined to the table top using a different fixing method to the original (see photos).