Two-Tiered Sliding Coffee Table with Hidden Bar by Aldo Tura, Italy 1970s (sold)
Two-Tiered Sliding Coffee Table with Hidden Bar by Aldo Tura, Italy 1970s (sold)
One of the most enigmatic and polarizing figures to emerge in Italian design history, Aldo Tura is an outlier in the world of mid-century furniture. The designer’s glamorous furniture pieces resist categorization and draw inspiration from Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Baroque, Surrealist and modernist styles.
Whether inspected from a purely material or aesthetic point of view, this coffee table is an outstanding piece in design history. Combining his interest in Art Deco and Art Nouveau with low-slung minimalist design of the 1940s and 50s, Tura created this coffee table by utilizing unusual materials including parchment and goat skin. The visually striking duality of the materials’ colour scheme and texture immediately draws the eye, just like the two-tiered arrangement. The top slides open to expose a hidden mirrored bar, adding to the numerous ingenious design elements. The rectangular, lacquered parchment and goat skin tiers are supported by wooden bases, adding to the interesting mix of materials. The luxurious overall aesthetic is reminiscent of the Hollywood regency style, characterized by the bold use of colour and contrast often with metallic and glass accents meant to signify both opulence and comfort. Blocks of contrasting colour are highly favoured, typically in different textures as seen in this model. This lacquered extendable coffee table was produced in the early 1970s, by the Tura company in Lazzate, Italy, that continues to produce furniture based on the style and designs of the designer who died in 1963. The Tura company began manufacturing the designer’s signature furniture in the 1930s, focusing on limited production of handcrafted designs produced within the confines of traditional craftsmanship.
Even as the world began to switch to mass-production, they produced items that were so intricate and labor-intensive that they were not able to be replicated with a large factory system, making many of his items rare or difficult to find today.
SOLD
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some marks and scratches on the surface.
Dimensions:
55.11 in W x 31.49 in D x 11.02 in H
140 cm W x 80 cm D x 28 cm H
About the designer:
Not much is known in literature about Tura's life. The artist was born in 1909, and established a furniture production house in Lombardy in 1939. The experimental furniture designer has been dealing with the manual production of tables, cupboards, and lamps since the 1930s. In 1939, he founded his own furniture workshop in Lombardia near Milano.
His mix of styles from Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and minimal. Tura went beyond the limits of traditional craftsmanship. Following the Art Deco movement, which focused on straight lines and angles, Tura's designs now included flowing lines and free forms. The limited edition of Tura's works is of high quality, some pieces only existed as prototypes. In his designs, he used a large selection of unusual materials such as eggshells, parchment, goatskin and wood veneers.
When many furniture manufacturers opted for mass production in the post-war years, Tura’s company remained committed to traditional craftsmanship. Its preferred complicated and complex forms brought with it labor-intensive processes that did not allow the industrial production of large quantities. In the 1950s, Tura also produced hand-painted seating with motifs of architectural or Venetian landscapes.
The Brooklyn Museum in NYC shows some of Tura's works that were originally part of the travelling exhibition Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today 1950–53.
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Price category: 2,500 - 5,000 usd / eur
This coffee table is a stunning example of Modernism in design: clear forms without exaggeration with the high-quality work of a Danish cabinetmaker. Humble in its material and size, this table still draws attention thanks to its distinctive look and personality.
Early on, many of the Danish cabinetmakers’ workshops had been producing historical furniture; master cabinetmakers had been renowned for their solid wooden furniture rendered in various styles of the past. This coffee table, while not specifically historical in style, shows some restrained decorative elements that are generally rather sparse in Scandinavian mid-century furniture. However, accordingly to the design ideals of Danish designers, the scalloping pattern is not overwhelming the table, nor does it demand attention, rather, it is an understated but clever addition to the design. The scalloped patterns on the tabletop and legs differ slightly; the scallops on the legs are more pronounced with straight lines between each scallop, while under the tabletop, it is in a more traditional, round shape.
The wavy effect is even more pronounced thanks to the beautiful grain and colour of the solid oak that is most apparent on the wide, circular top. As it can be expected from Danish design and craftsmanship, visually appealing elements usually serve a functional role as well. In this case, the wooden elements under the table reinforce the stability of the structure in this ingenious manner.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Due to the nature and age of the material, the item may have some marks, scratches, and discolouration.
Dimensions:
35.03 in W x 35.03 in D x 22.04 in H
89 cm W x 89 cm D x 56 cm H
About the Designer:
The practical and comfortable designs of Danish cabinetmakers defined mid-20th century modern seating. The Danish Cabinetmakers focused on minimalist design executed by expertly skilled craftsmen.
Works from the Danish Cabinetmakers' Guild is a concept of its own in collectible design. The Cabinet-Makers' Guild began annual exhibitions in 1927 in Copenhagen. The group formed an exhibit showing each year in October the quality furniture made to drawings by gifted architects. The exhibition took place each year, without interruption, for forty years. A number of successful Danish Design collaborations were formed during this time between cabinetmakers and architects.
Danish Modernism has influenced Scandinavian furniture to a great degree, defined by minimalism, simplicity, and functionality. The muted colours and gentle designs make Danish mid-century furniture an ideal addition to contemporary living spaces. Additionally, master cabinetmakers were highly aware of body proportions, prioritizing comfort just as much as the visual qualities.
The works of master cabinetmakers – such as this chair – are of the highest quality, both in terms of materials and craftsmanship. Cabinetmakers take the art of working with wood one step further, and focus on the finer details of what can be created with the material. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that numerous master cabinetmakers are part of the renowned Danish Culture Canon (Danish: Kulturkanonen). The canon contains no more than 108 works of cultural excellence, based on works with a useful function and that are still recognisable today. These lounge chairs are the perfect illustrations of Danish design, and the work of a true cabinetmaker. ~H.