- Chest of drawers. Carlo Zen production, 1902
A masterful and strikingly modern architectural design for its time defines this piece of furniture, where straight or curved inclined planes overlap, combined with surfaces that may be smooth, fluted, or inlaid. The architectural structure is further enhanced by precious materials such as yellow Verona marble set into figured mahogany, within which the inlays stand out.
The floral inlays are of two types, both made of maple wood with mother-of-pearl inserts and contained within a square section: in one version, they are connected by mahogany ribbons; in the other, by thorny maple branches. The same floral motif appears in the finely chiselled bronze elements used for escutcheons and socket plates. The interiors are crafted in oak. In several areas, a metal plate engraved “CARLO ZEN MILANO” is applied.
Dimensions: 172 × 120 × 53 cm
PRODUCT CODE: ANMOCA0271489
Carlo Zen (1851–1918), originally from Verona, began his career as a producer of furniture in the eclectic style with his first company, Zara e Zen, of which he soon became the sole owner. At the end of the 19th century, he started approaching the new floral style, while still maintaining a production of eclectic furnishings.
As he embraced this emerging taste, he demonstrated a remarkable ability to absorb various international trends, offering not a single personal style, but rather a wide range of proposals. At the 1902 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin, Carlo Zen furnished an entire pavilion in collaboration with the Viennese firm Haas, a manufacturer of fabrics and carpets, which would later become his supplier for textiles.
In the exhibition catalogue of Turin, second volume, plate 39, a bedroom virtually identical to the one presented here is illustrated, with the exception of what appear to be variations in the marquetry. The chromatic interplay of the two rooms, however, is identical: the dark mahogany contrasts with the light-wood inlays, creating the same refined decorative effect.
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