José Zanine Caldas Desk
Price on request
Historical Design
1950s
Naval Plywood
220 x 71 x 90 cm
86.6 x 28 x 35.4 in
Made of marine plywood, this desk is lightweight both in material and composition. The tabletop is very functional and allows for two simultaneous uses, right and left. It is a rare piece from Caldas’ early career, produced by his company Moveis Artisticos Z. Caldas aimed to create a series of affordable modern furniture with functional, democratic designs. The pieces were made of cut plywood and were entirely machined, which allowed to avoid joints on the side of the pieces. Many furniture models produced in the 1950s, such as this desk, present the lines of the letters L, T, U, V, or Z.
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For further information, please enquire.
Literature:
M.C. Loschiavo Dos Santos, L. Cavalcanti, A.P. de Carvalho et al., Olhares & R & Company (ed.), José Zanine Caldas, São Paulo, New York 2020, pp. 50-51.
Nilufar (ed.), Brazilian design, Milan 2016, pp. 74-75.
Aeroplano (ed.), Movel Brasileiro Moderno, São Paulo 2012, for a related example p. 155.
Location: London
Artist
José Zanine Caldas
José Zanine Caldas (1919-2001) was a self-taught artist, designer and architect from Belmonte, Brazil.
For over 10 years he ran a workshop specialising in architectural scale models, where he developed over 500 models for top Brazilian architects including Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa. In 1949, Caldas created the Fábrica Moveis Artísticos Z to produce standardised plywood furniture for a wider public.
