Occasional Table
1929 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This table makes innovative use of industrial glass and metal fittings. The metal fittings are of a type more commonly used in shop fitting. In the late 1920s the British designer Denham MacLaren undertook display and exhibition work for the interior decorator Arundell Clarke. This experience possibly led him to experiment with glass as a material for furniture.
There was little margin for error for the designer of these minimalist, modern furnishings. The clear glass meant that every detail of construction was exposed, allowing no room for error. The tripod base of the table utilises three panes of industrial glass and three curved pieces of tubular chrome-finish steel. The panes of glass are held in position by the steel elements, which almost seem suspended in mid-air. From the side, the steel elements are positioned at different heights, but when viewed from above, they align into a perfect circle. This fractioning and refractioning of geometric forms was a typical feature of 1930s Art Deco.
There was little margin for error for the designer of these minimalist, modern furnishings. The clear glass meant that every detail of construction was exposed, allowing no room for error. The tripod base of the table utilises three panes of industrial glass and three curved pieces of tubular chrome-finish steel. The panes of glass are held in position by the steel elements, which almost seem suspended in mid-air. From the side, the steel elements are positioned at different heights, but when viewed from above, they align into a perfect circle. This fractioning and refractioning of geometric forms was a typical feature of 1930s Art Deco.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Chrome-plated steel and plate glass |
| Brief description | Circular occasional table of glass, the three glass panels of the base joined by chromed steel 'stretchers'. British, 1931, designed by Denham Maclaren for his own use |
| Physical description | Table of circular glass top resting on three perpendicular glass panels joined by curving chrome 'stretchers’. The top is a single, circular panel of glass, supported on a base consisting of three rectangular panels of glass set vertically, radiating from the centre, spaced and separated by three curving, circular-sectioned, chrome-plated, tubular steel 'stretchers'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Made for the designer's own home |
| Summary | This table makes innovative use of industrial glass and metal fittings. The metal fittings are of a type more commonly used in shop fitting. In the late 1920s the British designer Denham MacLaren undertook display and exhibition work for the interior decorator Arundell Clarke. This experience possibly led him to experiment with glass as a material for furniture. There was little margin for error for the designer of these minimalist, modern furnishings. The clear glass meant that every detail of construction was exposed, allowing no room for error. The tripod base of the table utilises three panes of industrial glass and three curved pieces of tubular chrome-finish steel. The panes of glass are held in position by the steel elements, which almost seem suspended in mid-air. From the side, the steel elements are positioned at different heights, but when viewed from above, they align into a perfect circle. This fractioning and refractioning of geometric forms was a typical feature of 1930s Art Deco. |
| Bibliographic reference | Architectural Review, vol. LXVII (Jan 1930), p.43. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.19:1,2-1979 |
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| Record created | January 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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