Brazilian Modern Sculptural Table with Six Matching Stools in Reclaimed Wood, 1970s — Lot 764–765

Description

A singular expression of Brazilian design from the 1970s, this monumental table and six-stool ensemble occupies the rare territory between furniture, sculpture, and functional art. Primitive in spirit yet remarkably sophisticated in its construction, the complete set celebrates the inherent architecture of wood itself—its scale, irregularity, age, grain, and natural history.

Entirely handcrafted from repurposed tree trunks, the table is conceived around the original forms of the timber rather than imposing a conventional geometry upon it. Two massive, hollowed trunk bases anchor the composition, supporting a broad tabletop formed from two naturally contoured slabs joined from below. Their irregular perimeter follows the organic growth of the tree, creating an extraordinary silhouette that changes as the piece is viewed from different angles.

Across the surface, concentric grain patterns, tonal shifts, natural fissures, voids, and subtle irregularities remain visible. Rather than being concealed, these characteristics become essential elements of the design. The wood ranges from deep brown to warm reddish and amber undertones, with decades of natural oxidation lending the material exceptional depth and richness.

Six individually sculpted stools complete the ensemble. Each is constructed with a substantial solid-wood seat resting on clustered vertical elements reminiscent of bundled branches or sections of a tree trunk. Although united by a common vocabulary, no two are precisely alike. Their differences in contour, texture, and proportion reveal the hand of the maker and give each stool an independent sculptural identity.

There is an unmistakably primitive quality to the ensemble—not as an aesthetic affectation, but through its direct relationship with material and construction. The forms remain close to the tree from which they originated: massive, tactile, irregular, and elemental. At the same time, their confident scale and radical reduction of conventional furniture vocabulary place the work firmly within the experimental spirit of Brazilian design during the 1970s.

The result is a complete environment rather than simply a table accompanied by seating. Arranged together, the seven elements create an almost architectural landscape, with the stools orbiting the monumental tabletop as individual sculptural forms. The ensemble can function as a dining or communal table, yet its presence extends far beyond utility.

Carefully cleaned and polished while retaining the authentic texture, patina, and evidence of age intrinsic to the timber, the set remains in excellent condition.

A rare surviving expression of Brazil's material culture and extraordinary tradition of working directly with native and reclaimed woods, Lot 764–765 is ultimately a collectible piece of Brazilian design history: elemental in conception, uncompromising in scale, and impossible to reproduce in precisely the same form.

Sold as a set.