Pierre Chapo, Crafted Oak Coffee Table with Decorative Joinery, France 1960’s

$8,500

Pierre Chapo (1927-1987)

A two-drawer coffee table by master craftsman and woodworker Pierre Chapo, with beautiful exposed joinery in fitted oak. This piece is a compelling example of Chapo’s excellent cabinetry and stripped-down, essentialist design. At the juncture of art, architecture, and craft, Chapo’s rugged creations —sculptural, organic, pure, and sincere— reveal his dual commitment to traditional know-how and modern forms, as well as his profound dedication to wood as a noble material.

A seminal figure in French mid-century design, Chapo was also an innovative gallerist. Starting in the late 1950’s, he featured work by Charlotte Perriand, who inspired him but whose mass-produced industrialism he renounced, and Isamu Noguchi, a kindred spirit, at his Galerie Chapo. In his organic approach to design and devotion to the natural beauty of oak and elm (whenever possible, he eschewed screws and metal brackets), Chapo was in harmony with George Nakashima and the American Craft movement. But his fierce attention to detail and the rustic luxury of his pieces — each one a carefully crafted statement of minimalist individualism—were uniquely his own.

  • Origin: France
  • Period: 1960's
  • Dimensions: 47" L x 24" W x 16" H
  • Materials: Oak
  • Condition: Good condition; wear consistent with age and use.

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Product Description

Sculptural?

Pierre Chapo (1927-1987)

A two-drawered coffee table by master craftsman Pierre Chapo, with beautiful exposed joinery in perfectly fitted oak, a compelling example of Chapo’s excellent cabinetry and pure, organic design.

47″ L x 24″ W x 16″ H

France, 1960’s

Very good condition; wear consistent with age and use.

 

This side table in solid elm is part of the midcentury collection of Morentz. The night stand is designed by the master woodworker Pierre Chapo. As of all of his designs, this nightstand has a very modest and simplistic design. All attention goes to the natural expression of the wood and the excellent craftsmanship. This small cabinet shows beautiful woodjoints. A subtle all-over patina emphasizes the grain of the elm. The table is equipped with a drawer to provide storage facilities. Pierre Chapo (1927-1987) was an architect, furniture designer and lecturer. After graduating from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris he opened his own workshop in Clamart and Paris. Pierre Chapo was an outrageous skillful carpenter and cabinetmaker.

 

featuring perfectly fitted exposed joinery and tactile grain. At the juncture of art, architecture, and craft, Chapo’s rugged creations — sculptural, organic, pure, and sincere — reveal his dual commitment to traditional know-how and modern design.

 

A two-drawered coffee table by master craftsman Pierre Chapo, with beautiful exposed joinery in perfectly fitted oak, a compelling example of Chapo’s excellent cabinetry and pure, organic design.

emblematic of the designer’s deft craftsmanship and stripped-down, essentialist design.

 

Pierre Chapo (1927-1987)

A two-drawered coffee table by master craftsman Pierre Chapo, with beautiful exposed joinery in fitted oak, a compelling example of Chapo’s excellent cabinetry and stripped-down, essentialist design. At the juncture of art, architecture, and craft, Chapo’s rugged creations — sculptural, organic, pure, and sincere — reveal his dual commitment to traditional know-how and modern forms.