After training in Germany alongside “Kem” Weber, Walter von Nessen immigrated to the United States in 1923 where he established himself as one of the nation’s leading designers. Best remembered as a pioneer in light fixtures, von Nessen used materials like Bakelite (a plastic made from synthetic resin) and metal (“the material of the future,” according to contemporaries) in his domestic furniture as sleek, lightweight alternatives to traditional wood and brass. For this table, he combined the clean lines of modernist design with the scroll-like curves of classical architecture to suggest progress and permanence.