Carlo Mollino

Richard Wright, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, circa 2000

"Modern by Singer," Domus, no. 267, February 1952, n.p.
"Nuovi Mobili di Mollino," Domus, no. 270, May 1952, p. 50
Fulvio Ferrari, Carlo Mollino Cronaca, exh. cat., Galerie Fulvio Ferrari, Turin, 1985, p. 129
Irene de Guttry, Il Mobile Italiano Degli Anni Quaranta e Cinquanta, Rome, 1992, p. 213
Giovanni Brino, Carlo Mollino Architecure as Autobiography, London, 2005, p. 137
Rossella Colombari, Carlo Mollino: Catalogo dei Mobili - Furniture Catalogue, Milan, 2005, p. 73
Fulvio Ferrari and Napoleone Ferrari, The Furniture of Carlo Mollino, London, 2006, figs. 131 (for a period photograph of the model as advertised by Singer & Sons, 1950) and 133 (for the design drawing)
Fulvio Ferrari and Napoleone Ferrari, Carlo Mollino: Plywood, 1951, New York, 2014, figs. 11 and 18 (for period photographs of the table base model in production at the Apelli & Varesio workshop, 1952)

Overall very good condition.The wood presents with a few scattered surface scratches, minute dents, light cracks and a few scuff marks, the later mostly concentrated on the legs, around the area where the lower glass top is set. The base is composed of several wooden elements and some of the joints between these elements have been sensitively refilled at a later stage to ensure the soundness of the table. Some of these fillings with small losses. The glass tabletop and shelf with some scattered surface scratches and two tiny flaws inherent to the manufacturing process along one edge on each top. The lower glass top with a surface chip to the outer edge of approximately 1 ½ x ⅜ inch, not visually detractive. The brass elements with some scratches, light oxidation and wear to the gilding, consistent with age and use. An incredibly chic design.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Carlo Mollino’s designs do not investigate aesthetics; they do not contemplate history; and above all, they do not imitate. Though Mollino acknowledged the influence of the past and the work of his contemporaries, his furniture innovations were borne purely of his own experience of the world around him.  He was a thrill-seeker—he skiied, flew planes, and raced cars.  He was a photographer, a writer, and an architect.  He was enamored with the curves and proportions of the female form. He favored functionalism but had internalized the themes of Art Nouveau, Surrealism, and Futurism. In its essence, Mollino’s work might be considered autobiographical: we can see the confluence of the many varied aspects of the artist’s life and worldview, but its most striking quality is its singularity.

Mollino did not typically design items for mass-production, but the present table is an exception. Designed in 1950 for the American furniture maker Singer & Sons, this table is exemplary of the mysterious quality that makes Mollino’s work so striking. It has a sensual quality, recalling the human figure in repose. At the same time, however, the table captures the feeling of speed, with our eyes unable to rest as they trace its dynamic, curvilinear frame. Its form is lucid, organic, controlled, and efficient, making it a masterpiece within Mollino’s oeuvre.

“Only when a work is not explainable other than in terms of itself can we say that we are in the presence of art. This ineffable quality is the hallmark of an authentic work. Whoever contemplates it receives a ‘shock’ that is unmistakable and, above all, unexplainable—a shock that he or she will try in vain to explain in rational terms. There are no reasons. If there were, we would have a way to build a convenient machine for making art through logic and grammar.” – Carlo Mollino, Architettura, spazio creato, 1953