Neoclassical Round Brass Coffee Table by Maison Baguès, circa 1940

This refined neoclassical round coffee table by Maison Baguès, dating from the 1930s–1940s, exemplifies the elegant precision for which the celebrated Parisian house was renowned. Executed entirely in brass, the circular form and classical ornamental language place the piece squarely within the tradition of French luxury furniture that drew so freely upon the legacy of the Ancien Régime.

The circular top, encircled by a delicate openwork gallery in the manner of eighteenth-century French guéridons, rests on slender legs enriched with classical mouldings. The warm luminosity of the polished brass gives the piece a jewel-like quality that animates any interior. Whether placed in a drawing room, a salon, or a library, the table serves equally as a functional surface and a decorative statement.

Maison Baguès, one of the great Parisian houses of decorative metalwork and lighting, produced pieces of exceptional technical and aesthetic quality throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Their brass furniture, made in the neoclassical idiom, is particularly sought after today for its combination of classical proportion and superb craftsmanship. This table is a distinguished example of their finest work.