An Art Nouveau Side Table

Art Nouveau side table with curved triangle top decorated in highly unusual marquetry inlays depicting a stairwell of endless steps and entwined hand rails. We think that the straight, square section legs are not original and were replaced in the 1980s.

The shape of the top of this table is typical of Ecole de Nancy cabinetry at the turn of the twentieth century. Renowned designers in this movement like Emile Galle (1846-1904) and Louis Majorelle (1859-1926) produced side tables with similar curved triangle tops that are typically decorated in busy, nature-related patterns, and with organically-shaped legs. The origin of the complex design and draughtsmanship of the marquetry on this table remain unidentified.

France, c.1900