Modernist Chrome and Gilt Metal Coffee Table, Triple-Footed, in the Style of Willy Rizzo, French Work, circa 1970

Boldly asserting the glamorous aesthetic of the early 1970s, this coffee table in chrome and gilt metal exemplifies the audacious modernism that defined the most fashionable Parisian interiors of the decade. Its architectural silhouette rests on three slender legs of polished chrome, whose sharp geometry contrasts magnificently with the warm reflections of the gilt metal top. The interplay between the two metals — cold and luminous chrome, amber-hued gold — creates a chromatic dialogue of rare sophistication, perfectly in keeping with the spirit of opulent chic that characterised the era.

The piece is executed in the unmistakable manner of Willy Rizzo (1928–2013), the Italian-born photographer-turned-designer who became one of the most sought-after names in Parisian decorative arts of the 1970s. Having immortalised the international jet-set through his lens for Paris Match, Rizzo turned to furniture design with the same bravura, creating pieces for his own legendary Paris apartment before opening his studio. His signature language — chrome, brass, lacquer — became the emblem of a cultivated hedonism shared by his circle of collectors: Brigitte Bardot, Liz Taylor, and the grandes fortunes of the era.

A refined and instantly legible piece of its time, this coffee table would bring its unmistakable 1970s élan to any interior, whether period or decidedly contemporary. Its excellent state of preservation, combined with the allure of its twin-metal composition, makes it an ideal acquisition for the collector of French modernist design.