Jack Pritchard was a central figure in the development and promotion of the 'Modern Movement' in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925 he joined Venesta, a company manufacturing a limited range of products using plywood produced in Finland, Lithuania and Estonia, and recognising the potential of this inexpensive and flexible material, Pritchard set about forging links with the foremost designers and architects in Europe with a view to expanding the business with new products and designers. In 1929 he commissioned Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand to design a stand for Venesta at the 1930 Building Trades Exhibition at Olympia, and in 1931, with Serge Chermayeff and Wells Coates, he visited the Bauhaus at Dessau, an experience which was to have a profound influence on his future direction. In the same year, Pritchard left Venesta and set about establishing the Isokon Company, whose brief was to promote and realise modern design. Its earliest and most influential achievement was the creation of the first 'International Style' building in London - the Lawn Road ('Isokon') Flats in Hampstead, which were commissioned from Wells Coates by Jack and Molly Pritchard. At Pritchard's instigation Walter Gropius came to live at the Lawn Road Flats when he left Germany in 1934 and was joined there by Breuer in 1935. At the end of 1935 Pritchard established the Isokon Furniture Company, to '... exploit the growing demand for modern furniture (by establishing) a good will for authentic modern furniture in the high price market ... (and developing) from that position to the mass market ...'. Walter Gropius became Controller of Design and Marcel Breuer was appointed Chief Designer, creating most notably the Long Chair, the Short Chair and the nest of three tables (see following lot).

Whilst living at the Lawn Road Flats, Breuer was also commissioned to design the Isobar, a small restaurant/social centre set up within the building for the community of residents and it is from here the present table originates. The bracing panels between the legs were an adaptation by Breuer to give additional stability to the rather lightweight table, and although this final design was patented by Breuer, it never went into production as the additional work and material involved would have made the final cost too great for a 'low cost' table