Elephant trunk table Adolf Loos F.O. Schmidt ca. 1899

The architect Adolf Loos designed his “Elephant trunk table” in collaboration with renowned Viennese fine cabinetmaker Friedrich Otto Schmidt, who first exhibited the striking piece at the winter exhibition of the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry (now MAK Vienna) in 1900. Loos subsequently used the table in many of his interior designs, e.g. for the study of Dr Hugo Haberfeld (Das Interieur IV, 1903, p.13).
The model was manufactured with eight legs, or in a smaller version with only six legs. Differences can also be found in the design of the tabletop, be it executed with a glass top or with a central inlay of marble or tiles. The top’s curved edge is echoed in the underlying arches, its shape harmoniously continued in the legs. The present version with legs made of solid mahogany represents a more luxurious variant.
Today the iconic design is shown in museum collections, for instance in the permanent exhibition at MAK Vienna, documenting the modern ideas of architect and interior designer Adolf Loos.