Two-Tier Brass Side Table with Glass Shelves and Finial Uprights, Maison Jansen, France, circa 1940

This slender two-tier side table by Maison Jansen is a testament to the house’s mastery of the small-format piece — an object of reduced dimensions but of immense refinement, combining the structural ingenuity of a cross-braced open frame with the decorative authority of gilded brass and clear glass. The four uprights are turned in a richly articulated brass profile, their surfaces worked with rings and segments in the classical manner, each surmounted by an ornamental finial of gilded brass — a detail that transforms a purely functional upright into a decorative column of genuine distinction.

The two glass shelves — rectangular with gently shaped edges — are held at precise intervals along the height of the uprights: the upper surface at a height suitable for use as a drinks table or lamp support, the lower as a display or storage level. The glass is clear, allowing an unobstructed view through the table and ensuring that the brass uprights remain fully visible. Between the uprights, diagonal cross-bracing connects the legs, providing structural stability while adding a further layer of decorative texture to the composition.

The proportions — 41 by 33 centimetres in footprint with a height of 62 centimetres — are ideal for placement beside a sofa or armchair as a lamp or drinks table, or as a bedside table in a classically appointed bedroom. The narrow footprint allows the piece to occupy tight spaces without crowding, while the open, transparent construction ensures it contributes to rather than obscures the visual space around it.

The combination of turned brass uprights, ornamental finials and clear glass was a hallmark of Maison Jansen’s small-format production of the 1930s and 1940s. This example, with its fine workmanship and complete original condition, is a quintessential piece of Jansen production from that golden period.