Art Deco Chess/ Side Table in Oak with Checkerboard Top, Netherlands, 1930s

This rare side table was produced in the Netherlands in the 1930s, reflecting the geometric, art deco style of the Haagse School movement. The piece was originally designed as a chess table; the board itself remains intact, though the playing pieces are no longer present.

The tabletop is composed of an oak and walnut checkerboard, framed by a mahogany border with a distinctive, flowing grain. Chamfered corner blocks project slightly beyond each edge, giving the top a graphic, architectural outline. A straight, fluted column in oak supports the top, rising from a square oak base with angled, faceted feet that echo the geometric detailing above.

With the chessboard no longer in play, the table now works well as a striking side table or occasional table, its checkerboard top adding a graphic pattern wherever it’s placed. The table is in good, original condition, with an even patina throughout.

The details, materials and geometric appearance of the design are exemplary for the Haagse School style. This style was not so much inspired by the Classic European Art Deco capitals such as Paris and Vienna but more by other national and international architectural developments such as the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. The influential magazine Wendingen published a series of articles on Wright still relatively unknown at the time in 1925 and the renowned architect Jan Wils also played an important role in the orientation towards Wright’s work in The Netherlands. In its particular application of geometric shapes, primary colours and its sophisticated cubist division of the surface, the Haagse School designers were also aware of De Stijl movement, led by contemporaries such as Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondriaan.