France, Paris / c. 1907
Tea Table
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Tea Table as furniture and woodwork (France, Paris · c. 1907).
Carlo Bugatti's sons achieved illustrious careers of their own. Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916) became a celebrated sculptor, and Ettore Bugatti (1881-1947) manufactured luxurious automobiles and racing cars.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this furniture and woodwork as inlaid wood (mahogany?), cast and gilded bronze mounts, inlays of ivory or bone, metal, and mother-of-pearl (marine mussels or pearl oysters and credits Carlo Bugatti (Italian, 1856–1940).
The museum's collection notes: Luxurious materials might catch the eye first, but a closer look reveals the imaginary creatures that adorn the surface of this table. Featuring elaborate arches, a favorite motif that appeared throughout Bugatti's furniture, this fantastical imagery is a window into the designer's expressive imagination.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtTea TableOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.