Suite of Three Aluminium Table Pieces with Bird and Branch Sculptures, France, circa 1970

This suite of three aluminium table service pieces constitutes an ensemble of remarkable formal and decorative coherence. The tallest piece is a two-tiered circular stand — a large disc at the top set on a branching foot adorned with perching birds. The second piece presents two rounded polished bowls joined by a horizontal bar, surmounted by a spreading tree in whose branches several birds have settled. The third, smaller piece pairs a single bowl with a branch and bird decoration. The hand-polished aluminium reflects light with a silvery restraint of great elegance.

The naturalistic motif of birds perching on bare branches is treated with remarkable precision and lightness: the small passerine birds are carefully moulded, their plumage suggested by fine incisions, their varied poses evoking the natural repose of birds on a branch. This type of stylised animal motif, strongly present in French silversmithing and table arts of the early twentieth century, is here revisited with the lightness and informality of 1970s design.

The three pieces are designed for a carefully appointed service table: the large tiered stand for canapés or petits fours, the double bowl for condiments or sauces, and the smaller cup for salt or olives. Their versatility is equally decorative: placed together as a centrepiece on a table or sideboard, they form a sculptural ensemble of considerable visual presence.

In fine general condition, the polished aluminium retains its lustre. A collection ensemble rare in its completeness and in the originality of its decoration — a work of French table arts of considerable appeal.