Round Walnut Two-Tier Coffee Table, Paolo Buffa, Italy, circa 1940

This elegant two-tier coffee table is one of the most characteristic expressions of Paolo Buffa’s refined modernist aesthetic. The circular form is executed in figured walnut, with two superimposed glass shelves — an upper and a lower tier — supported by three slender tapering walnut legs joined at intervals by the tiered glass platforms. The structure possesses both a structural elegance and an airiness that are hallmarks of Buffa’s design philosophy: maximum refinement achieved through minimum mass.

Paolo Buffa (1903–1970) was among the most important Italian furniture designers of the mid-twentieth century. Working primarily in Milan, where he collaborated with the cabinet-maker Serafino Arrighi before operating independently, Buffa developed a personal vocabulary that synthesised the classical Italian tradition of cabinet-making with the international modernism of the post-war era. His furniture — characterised by the use of precious figured woods, exquisite joinery, and a sensitivity to classical proportions — attracted the most discerning collectors in Italy and abroad. This coffee table, with its airy double-tier structure and the interplay between warm walnut and transparent glass, is typical of his mature production.

In excellent vintage condition, the walnut retains its warm, naturally figured grain and the glass its original clarity. The compact diameter of 68.5 cm and height of 50.5 cm make this a highly versatile piece for a drawing room or study. A distinguished example of Italian mid-century design by one of its most gifted practitioners.