Pair of Neoclassical Steel and Brass Side Tables with Glass and Églomisé Mirror by Maison Jansen, circa 1940

This elegant pair of side tables represents a particularly refined example of Maison Jansen’s neoclassical production during the interwar period. Each table presents two distinct levels: an upper surface in clear transparent glass that allows the light to pass through and reveal the shelf below, and a lower shelf finished with gilt églomisé mirror — a technique in which gold leaf is applied behind glass to create a luxurious, warm reflective surface. The neoclassical steel and brass framework, with its characteristic tapering legs, classical mounts, and refined metalwork, provides the structural context within which these two contrasting surfaces interact to spectacular decorative effect.

The combination of clear glass and gilt églomisé mirror in a single piece of furniture is a hallmark of the most sophisticated French decorative production of the 1930s and 1940s. Under the direction of Stéphane Boudin, Maison Jansen became the foremost proponent of this kind of luxurious material layering, deploying mirror, glass, lacquer, and metal in combinations that transformed functional furniture into objects of the highest decorative ambition. Pairs of side tables such as these were invariably supplied as part of complete interior schemes conceived by Jansen for the salons of their most distinguished clients, and their survival as a matched pair is particularly fortunate.

Presented in very good vintage condition, consistent with their age and provenance. W. 62 cm × D. 48.5 cm × H. 48.5 cm each.