Gerrit Rietveld Very Rare Wooden Serving Trolley, Netherlands, 1940s

A very rare tea trolley by De Stijl furniture designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964), from circa 1945. Because of the limited edition it was made in and due to its vulnerability, only a couple of pieces are around today. There are only two other original editions known, both owned by the Central Museum in Utrecht.

The youngest daughter of Gerrit Rietveld stated that her father designed the trolley in 1945 for a private customer in The Hague. This item is a typical product of Dutch postwar furniture; it is almost entirely made of wood (beech, pine and multiplex), as it was prohibited in the Netherlands to make furniture with metal parts during the first years after the war. The trolley is in an excellent and original condition, except for three small nails that have been replaced.