“Arimelo” Side Tables in Brazilian Rosewood, Sergio Rodrigues, 1958 - Lot 596A

Description

Designed in 1958, the Arimelo side tables by Sergio Rodrigues are rare and highly significant examples of his early production, representing a formative moment in the development of Brazilian Modern furniture. Created at a time when Rodrigues was defining a distinctly Brazilian modern language, these tables demonstrate his ability to reconcile architectural clarity with the expressive potential of native materials.

Executed with Brazilian rosewood (Jacaranda) veneer over a solid rosewood structure, the tables emphasize proportion, structural logic, and material presence rather than ornament. Their compact scale and sculptural profiles reveal Rodrigues’ sensitivity to secondary furniture forms, which he treated with the same intellectual rigor as seating or large architectural pieces. The expressive wood grain is integral to the design, reinforcing Brazilian Modernism’s departure from industrial uniformity in favor of material individuality and warmth.

These tables are particularly rare, both due to their limited production and their survival as a matched pair. Their inclusion in Sergio Rodrigues’ original manufacturing manual firmly situates them within his documented canon, underscoring their historical importance. Originally sourced from a private residence in Rio de Janeiro’s Laranjeiras neighborhood, they retain a strong sense of provenance.

The Arimelo tables exemplify Brazilian Modernism at its most refined: furniture conceived as an extension of architecture, shaped by climate, craftsmanship, and material intelligence rather than European precedent.