Neoclassical Style Brass Coffee Table with Black Lacquered Glass Top. French Work, by Maison Jansen. Circa 1940

This rectangular coffee table features a black lacquered glass top set in a brass frame bordered by an elegant openwork gallery with interlaced arcature motifs. The tapered and fluted uprights, ending in spinning-top feet, are joined by an X-shaped stretcher centered with a circular rosette that structures the base.

This neoclassical vocabulary — openwork gallery, fluting, X-shaped stretcher — is characteristic of the productions of Maison Jansen, the great Parisian decorating house founded in 1880, supplier to royal courts and the most prestigious residences. The contrast of gilt brass and black glass gives this model a very current graphic elegance.

Condition report: Good overall condition. Brass with a fine gilt patina, black lacquered glass that may show probable surface micro-scratches inherent to use. A coffee table of handsome scale, the centerpiece of a classic or contemporary living room.