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‎‎‎Price category: 5,000 - 7,500 usd / eur

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This bookcase is made out of thick plywood and features a sculptural and raw look that give it a lot of character.

The sides have rounded out edges that are wider at the base and gradually become narrower towards the middle. The slightly raised angle at the top gives this bookcase a distinctive appearance. At the base, a sculpted arch forms the four legs from the sideboards. The two shelves and top have the same measurements despite the illusion that the round shape of the sideboards create. The bookcase has its original bolts and rings on both sides and a beautiful, strong patina.

The shape of the design, the use of plywood and the distinctive bolts and rings are typical for the work of José Zanine Caldas and his manufactory, Fábrica de Móveis Artísticos Z of this period. However, official documents - as with many Brazilian works - have not yet appeared.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Wood has marks and cracks.

Dimensions:

35.63 in W x 11.82 in D x 31.5 in H

90.5 cm W x 30 cm D x 80 cm H

About the designer:

José Zanine Caldas was born in Belmonte, at the southern coast of Bahia, in 1919. Son to a doctor, Zanine was an autodidact who, from a young age, was fascinated with his environment, especially with trees.

While most architects of his generation studied extensively, Zanine developed his own style through doing and making, and at the age of 20 decided to exchange Bahia for Rio de Janeiro. There he opened up a workshop for architectural scale-models and had the chance to work with pioneering modern architects like Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer.

Large scale furniture with modern design and affordable prices. This was the great advantage of the joinery Móveis Artístico Z founded in 1948 by the architect Zanine Caldas, in partnership with Sebastião Pontes and Paulo Mello, was a great success at the time. Headquartered in São José dos Campos (SP), it maintained its production for almost two decades. The form of creation, idealized by Zanine, was opposed to the market of the time, which was either based on the production of handmade furniture, in solid wood, or in pieces produced in series with an unattractive design. Breaking these paradigms, Móveis Artísticas Z revolutionized manufacturing pieces with improved design and great popular appeal.

Inspired by the local craftsmen who carved boats and furniture from fallen trees, Zanine began experimenting with chiselling and carving large, sculptural works, which became the focus of his later career. Zanine became a big advocate for preservation and in the 1980's, he established the Foundation Center for the Development of the Application of Brazilian Woods (DAM), in an effort to educate and attempt to reverse the rampant destruction of Brazilian rainforests.

Up until his death in 2001, Zanine kept his natural visions alive, and would plant a new tree in place of any tree that was taken down for one of his projects. ~H.