Elongated Sculptural Wooden Bowl, Europe Second half of the 20th Century
















Elongated Sculptural Wooden Bowl, Europe Second half of the 20th Century
REQUEST PRICE HERE
Price category: 2,500 - 5,000 usd / eur
The second half of the 20th century saw a renewed fascination with organic form and material integrity. Across Europe, the postwar years brought a quiet resistance to industrial uniformity, artists and designers returned to the tactile immediacy of natural materials. Studio craftsmen began to treat wood, clay, and metal as expressive mediums rather than mere functional matter. The result was an era that celebrated the imperfect, the handmade, and the quietly sculptural, where design and art began to intertwine with new intimacy.
Carved from a single piece of richly grained wood, the elongated bowl reveals a deep respect for both material and skill. Its shape, stretching gracefully from end to end, feels fluid and intentional, while the gently arched handle gives the object a structural balance. The surface bears traces of the maker’s hand, with soft ridges and natural irregularities that add a tactile rhythm to its form. Swirling grain patterns further provide a striking visual dimension, highlighting a contrast of tone and texture. The form shifts subtly depending on the viewer’s angle, inviting exploration and offering a sense of balance between lightness and strength. Whether used as a functional centerpiece or simply admired as an object of form and shadow, it draws the eye through its quiet complexity and sculptural quality.
As with much of European studio craftsmanship from this era, this piece speaks to a time that valued authenticity and material truth above decoration or excess. The maker’s hand is evident yet never dominant, allowing the natural form of the wood to guide the design.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Due to the nature and age of the material, item may have some marks, scratches, and discolouration.
Dimensions:
41.92 in W x 15.74 in D x 8.26 in H
106.5 cm W x 40 cm D x 21 cm H
REQUEST PRICE HERE
Price category: 5,000 - 7,500 usd / eur
This beautiful tray, produced in Spain in the second half of the 20th century, is a refined example of decorative craftsmanship paired with functional design. In 1798, the Valentí family started its first silversmith workshop in Barcelona. In 1925 Fernando Valentí Clúa, founder of the current Valentí, was born. Since then, they have created a company with a solid handcraft foundation, influenced by the decorative arts and the renaissance of craftsmanship applied to modernity.
The tray has a broad, elongated oval shape with a shallow interior and gently raised sides. Its outline has a natural flow, showing its handcrafted nature. The inside has a rich, warm golden brass surface, dramatically enhanced by areas of turquoise. Across the bottom of the tray, the brass almost melts across the blue surface. The pattern it creates is effortlessly organic. The exterior displays a continuous turquoise finish, making the distinction between the inside and outside especially striking. The smooth, shallow form allows the different surfaces to remain clearly visible, while also working functionally as a tray. The combination of materials gives the piece a memorable example of Spanish mid-century decorative metalwork.
Decorative objects of this kind are particularly appealing for their ability to introduce colour, texture and material contrast into an interior. This Valentí tray is an excellent centrepiece for a coffee table, dining table or sideboard, where its richly patterned interior can be appreciated from above. It can also serve as a decorative catchall or simply be displayed as an object in its own right.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Due to the nature of material, the item has some marks, scratches, and discolouration.