Tina Christensen - Set of four “Nordisk” chairs - IKEA - 1999 -

Sold as a matching set of four “NORDISK” chairs, produced by IKEA from 1992 onwards, this rare set embodies the experimental boldness of the Swedish giant’s great postmodern period. Designed by Danish designer Tina Christensen, the model engages in a subtle dialogue with the “light & steel” furniture of French designers Pascal and Olivier Mourgue: the same pursuit of visual lightness, the same play on controlled curves, but applied here to a refined Nordic aesthetic. Each chair juxtaposes two materials emblematic of the 1990s: beech plywood – finely crafted for the seat and back, it allows for an ergonomic shape that naturally follows the lumbar curve (the grained veneer, left in a satin varnish, reveals a warm honey hue); and steel tubing – bent into a single continuous ribbon, it forms the rear uprights and the central crossbar, emphasizing the “wavy” silhouette that earned the model its nickname (“wavy chair” in the catalogs). The medium-gray powder coating—a very nineties shade—protects the steel while creating a soft contrast with the wood. Made in Romania—an IKEA partner country for hardwoods since the late 1980s—these pieces bear the reference 100.297.91 / PQM13755, dated 1999. Featured in the 1993 IKEA catalog for Scandinavia, then withdrawn at the end of 2000, the NORDISK series was never widely distributed: its mid-to-high-end positioning and production cost (double wood/steel structure) limited it to a niche market. - Dimensions (cm): 75.5 (H) X 46 (W) X 49 (D) X 45 (seat H) Origin & Period: Romania, 1999. Good original condition - even wear consistent with age: scattered micro-scratches on the edge of the seat and occasional patina on the varnish; minute oxidation marks on the steel legs and localized chips in the matte gray lacquer; no structural play, perfect stability; ready for use.