Pair of Modernist Chrome Flat-Bar Side Tables with Thick Glass Shelves, France circa 1970

This handsome pair of square side tables represents the rigorously minimalist strain of French modernist design at its most resolute, reducing the table to its essential elements of frame and surface with a confidence and clarity entirely characteristic of the best 1970s French production. The chrome framework is composed of flat-section chrome-plated steel bars — not tubes, but solid flat strips — bent at precise right angles to form a structural system of leg, rail and support, resulting in a form of notable architectural purity.

Two thick clear glass slabs are set within the flat-bar chrome framework — the upper surface and a lower shelf — each substantial enough in section to contribute to the visual weight and presence of the piece rather than appearing as mere transparent additions. The thick glass reads as a material in its own right, its edges catching the light to add a subtle luminous quality to an otherwise purely metallic composition.

At 60 by 60 centimetres in plan and 38 centimetres in height, the tables are square and compact — a format well suited to use beside an armchair or at either end of a sofa. Their matching dimensions and identical design make them an effective and visually coherent pair; sold together, they function as a composed ensemble of considerable decorative authority.

In excellent vintage condition, the chrome clean and bright, the glass panels intact. A refined pair of French modernist side tables that rewards close attention to its carefully considered construction.