Gaming Table by Tobia Scarpa, Italy - 1980s

Description

Tobia Scarpa (born 1935) is among the most influential figures in postwar Italian design. Working closely with Afra Scarpa, he developed furniture distinguished by its inventive construction, sensitivity to materials and careful integration of technical solutions into everyday objects. Their collaborations with manufacturers including Cassina, B&B Italia and Molteni contributed to the development of Italian furniture design during the second half of the twentieth century, combining traditional woodworking knowledge with new approaches to form and function.

Dating to the 1980s, this gaming table brings together an unusual mechanical construction and a carefully considered wooden composition. In its closed position, the square tabletop sits within a lighter wooden frame, supported by four broad legs with rounded lower ends. Each corner incorporates a sliding mechanism that allows the outer elements to extend diagonally from the central structure, revealing concealed compartments divided into four sections for storing gaming accessories. When opened, the legs angle outwards, visibly transforming the table's profile. The contrast between the dark tabletop and the lighter frame emphasises the individual structural components, while the precisely integrated mechanism allows the table to transition between a restrained geometric form and a more expressive configuration.

GW4782