Rattan, Lacquered Metal and Leather Bottle Holder, French Work, circa 1970

The French decorative tradition of the 1970s produced a remarkable range of furnishing accessories, and among the most characteristic were objects that combined natural and industrial materials in a single, cohesive design. This bottle holder — in rattan, lacquered metal, and leather — exemplifies that sensibility with admirable frankness. The juxtaposition of woven rattan’s organic warmth, the cool precision of lacquered metal, and the suppleness of leather creates an object whose material richness far exceeds its modest functional purpose.

The piece is of compact but well-proportioned form, measuring thirty-four centimetres in width, eighteen and a half in depth, and forty-two and a half in height — dimensions that suit a sideboard, a bar trolley, or a library table equally well. The construction is of good quality, the rattan weave tight and well-resolved, the metal lacquered with care, and the leather fittings applied with precision. It holds bottles at a slight angle, presenting them with a casual elegance that speaks of the convivial entertaining culture of its period.

Objects of this kind — table accessories that occupy a charming middle ground between the purely utilitarian and the purely decorative — have become increasingly sought after by collectors interested in the everyday material culture of the French 1970s interior. This example, in good condition, is an attractive and eminently usable piece that brings the warmth and character of its era into a contemporary setting.