A rare 1930s modernist sidetable or serving table by Michel Dufet, in wenge veneer (bois palmier) with a polished nickel support and two half round shelves. A very similar table is documented in the follwing book: Florence Camard, "Michel Dufet", Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 1988, p. 154. (see photo in the presentation)
The table is very stylish, great for styling and adding something different to an interior. It is in overall good condition with some small signs of aging and wear.
Underneath the high gloss finish, the wenge wood has been treated with some sort of gold coloured material (probably brass) which hightlights the structure and gives it a luxurious appearance.
Michel Dufet (1888 – 1985) was a French interior designer who studied painting and architecture at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. In 1913, he founded the MAM (Mobilier Artistique Moderne), producing modern furniture, wallpaper, fabrics, and lighting.
Michel Dufet was very versatile and creative, well known for his exciting, futuristic designs and his variety in use of materials to form one piece of furniture (Bois Palmier / Wengé veneer, in combination with polished steel, zinc or nickel. Examples of pieces designed by him are included in the photo presentation.
His furniture was made in exotic woods with exquisite, sophisticated forms, influenced by neo-Cubism. He designed various stores, theatres, workplaces, public areas, and yachts, among other things. He became the editor-in-chief of Décor d’Aujourd’hui in 1933. He developed the layout for the Musée d’Antoine Bourdelle in 1947.
Between 1924 and 1939, Dufet worked at Le Bucheron’s newly formed Le Sylve design studio with art critic Léandre Vaillat, designing furniture and furnishings such as a desk in Canadian birch for the director of Agence Havas and a 1929 ebony, zinc, and cellulose-veneered desk for Compagnie Asturienne des Mines (a photo is included)
Artist
Michel Dufet (attributed)
Design Period
1929 to 1939
Production Period
ca.1930
Country of Manufacture
France
Identifying Marks
No
Style
Art Deco, Modernist, Minimalist
Detailed Condition
Good - small signs of wear
Restoration and Damage Details
Product Code
0115 / Dibs
Materials
Wenge Veneer (placage en palmier), polished nickel
