Once you have seen a piece of furniture by Carlo Bugatti, it is hard to forget. His furniture is know for the inclusion of unusual materials, such as parchment, mixed metals, silk and exotic woods and the combining of Moorish, African and Japanese aesthetics. In 1888, Bugatti showed his designs at the Milan Industrial Arts Exhibition and the response to his designs was immediate and led to many commissions. In 1898 he established his studio based in Milan called ‘C. Bugatti & C., Fabbrica Mobili Artistici Fantasia.’ The name of the studio hinting at his design style. He continued to show at world’s fairs including the 1900 L'Exposition de Paris, where his designs captured the essence of the Art Nouveau movement. After 1900, Bugatti started producing more works in silver, exhibiting at the 1907 at the Paris gallery of A. A. Hébrard. Bugatti called his fantastical silver pieces ‘Ses Bêtes’ (his creatures).
Desk, ca. 1902 Walnut, copper, pewter, vellum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Chair, ca.1895, Partly ebonized wood, vellum seat and back, metal inlay and embossed metal decoration. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.
Settee ca. 1900. Walnut, brass, pewter, vellum and silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Silver Claret Jug. ca. 1907 dragonfly and grotesque motifs. Christies, New York. Lot 908, Sale 1733 Important 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design, 2006.