Nicolas Aubagnac
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SATURNE
_pedestal table
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The art of lacquer
The Saturne pedestal table showcases the expertise of lacquer.
The planet motif is created with copper sheets laid on a cloudy lacquer background, then covered with several layers of lacquer patiently applied and sanded for hours until that incomparable effect of brilliance and depth is achieved which makes the quality of a lacquer in the eyes of discerning collectors.
Two-tone cloudy lacquer tray, decorated with "planets" in copper leaf laid under lacquer
D = 31.5 in | H = 23.62
A long tradition
Lacquer objects date back to the Neolithic period in China.
This technique was already reserved for luxury items.
Then Japan became a reference in this field. In the West, lacquer was only practiced from the 17th century onwards.
Lacquer objects were prized by the elites: in the 18th century, Queen Marie Antoinette collected them.
It was designers of the 1930s, such as Eileen Gray and Jean Dunand, who embraced the traditional Japanese lacquer technique and incorporated it into their furniture designs. Thus, the Saturne pedestal table perpetuates a tradition nearly 3,000 years old…
