Eero Saarinen is considered one of the masters of American 20th century architecture and design. Born in Finland, his family emigrated to the United States in 1923 when Eero was thirteen. Whilst studying sculpture and furniture design, he developed a close relationship with fellow students Charles and Ray Eames (see Lots 7 and 9), and became good friends with Florence Knoll, which lead to a long association with the Knoll furniture company. He went on to design many important pieces of furniture, including the Pedestal Table in 1956, in which he aimed to simplify the traditional form of chairs and tables with multiple legs.