▁one - pie ce ▁pl astic ▁tele phone ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁Eric sson ▁Company ▁of ▁Sweden ▁and ▁market ed ▁through ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁commer cially ▁market ed ▁tele phone ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁the ▁d ial ▁and ▁hand set ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁unit . ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁sty ling ▁and ▁its ▁influence ▁on ▁future ▁tele phone ▁design , ▁the ▁Eric of on ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁significant ▁industrial ▁designs ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁by ▁Ph a id on . ▁It ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁In ▁Sweden , ▁the ▁Eric of on ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁c ob ra ▁tele phone ▁for ▁its ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁a ▁co iled ▁s nake . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Eric of on ▁was ▁designed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁by ▁a ▁design ▁team ▁including ▁Gö sta ▁Th ames , ▁Ralph ▁L ys ell , ▁and ▁Hugo ▁Bl om berg . ▁The ▁two ▁major ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁tele phone , ▁the ▁hand set ▁and ▁the ▁d ial , ▁are ▁combined ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁unit . ▁ ▁This ▁one - pie ce ▁design ▁anticip ated ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁typical ▁cord less ▁phone ▁and ▁cell ▁phone ▁by ▁several ▁dec ades . ▁Serial ▁production ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁Early ▁models ▁were ▁sold ▁only ▁to ▁institutions , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁production ▁for