Carlo Bugatti 2025

An incredible collection of works by Carlo Bugatti (1856 -1940)

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Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940) Carlo Bugatti, born in Milan in 1856, is best known for his innovative furniture and interior design, which are characterized by their use of unusual materials and decorative motifs. Bugatti had an artistic background, his father being an architect and sculptor. His sons carried on this tradition, Rembrandt becoming a sculptor of some renown and Ettore, a car designer, founding the Bugatti automobile company. Around 1880, after training in architecture and cabinetmaking, Carlo Bugatti opened his own studio in Milan and began to produce furniture. Its inventive and theatrical construction gradually evolved from dramatic rectilinear shapes to more fluid forms. This furniture was unique in its time and remains so today.

Bugatti also incorporated a variety of unusual materials into his furniture, such as fringing and tasselling, which added an exotic flavour and softened the hard-edged geometric style. Other unusual materials were used to embellish Bugatti’s furniture, including brass pressed with geometric patterns, pewter and other metal inlays, silk cords, ivorine (an aritficial product that has the charactistics and look of ivory), white wood and bone.

His use of vellum is also particularly characteristic and Bugatti often illuminated it with plant motifs in a soft brown wash or a delicate spider with web. He often framed these panels with strips of copper beaten with geometric patterns. Bugatti’s employment of asymmetry contributed significantly to the individual nature of his work. Its use is striking yet his furniture never appears unbalanced or out of proportion. It is completely grounded and rich with exotic ornament and imagination.

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E&OE

We are delighted to be able to present to you a stunning collection of these delicate and exotic works of art. A collection which has taken over a decade to formulate, signature features include Bugatti’s use of ebonized wood inlaid with metal, which has been described as Moorish but, equally, may owe as much to Japanese inspiration as to Islamic and European. Strikingly original, Carlo Bugatti’s furniture combines the picturesque asymmetry of Art Nouveau with the exoticism of Moorish, Eurpoeanand Japanese influences.

Literature References:

22-23 St Mary’s Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1ED +44(0) 1743 343452 / +44 (0)7810 714545 +1 615 870 7639 art@callaghan-finepaintings.com / www.callaghan-finepaintings.com

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1. One of the most Important Two Seater Settee

Circa: 1900 The rarity amd importance of this work cannot be underestimated.

A delicate design with infinit luxurious detail. Highly decorated wood inlaid with pewter, bone, hand beaten copper and polychrome painted vellum embleshed with hand painted ink drawings. Ivorine has been used in small blocks in an architectural fashion, juxtaposing large and small rectangles to create a dentil inlay effect.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris 4

Size: 42” x 46” x 20”

Carlo was nicknamed ‘The Young Leonardo’ for the diversity of his creative drive.

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The ‘Important Two Seater Bench’ & ‘Large Centre Table’ photographed with ‘Le Dorade’ - Oil on Canvas - 17” x 46” by Claude Venard (1913-1999)

Carlo’s passion for decoration was perhaps the essence of his talent. During his most sophisticated period, from about the 1890’s on, he displayed brilliance as a graphic artist and his furniture are worthy of study in close up, the detail being often more fascinating and revealing than the whole.

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2. Rare Important Pair of Curved Throne Chairs Highly decorated stained walnut wood, profusely inlaid with white wood & bone. Hand beated copper applications throughout the piece and covered in vellum with hand painted floral motifs.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris 8

Size: 42” x 23” x 20”

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The smooth curve joining the backrest to the front legs of the sofa gives the design a smooth and architectural feel.

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3. Impressive Centre Table

Circa: 1890 Black stained wood (walnut) profusley inlaid with white wood, ivorine, pewter, and covered in vellum with hand painted floral motif’s. Decorated with four wrought copper disks and hand beaten copper on the legs.

Provenance: Private Collection, Milan Size: 29” x 39” x 25”

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4. A Rare & Important & one of a kind Display Cabinet Circa: 1900

Polished & stained walnut, profuesely inlayed with hand beaten copper and brass. Decorated throughtour with pewter and white wood.

The most amazing stylised strawberry decoration appear throughout the piece.

Provenance: Private Collection, Milan Size: 59” x 25”

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The stylised strawberry motif is one we have never seen before, which leads us to believe this work was commisoned as a one off, one of a kind piece.

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Sketches inform us that Bugatti's studio practice relied on intensive variations on key themes. This is part of the reason why every Bugatti piece is distinctly of the artist, and why no two pieces are the same.

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5. Exceptionally Rare Keyhole Hallway Floor Mirror Circa: 1890

Highly detailed turned black stained wood, hand pressed beaten copper with bone and white wood applications with a fusion of intricately turned turnings.

Decorated with hand painted floral and bird motifs.

Provenance: Private Collection, Germany Size: 83” x 36” x 7”

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Bugatti used small pieces of bone white wood and ivorine carved blocks to create a detailed inlay and applied effect, as seen here to create a contrast of colour against the black wood.

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6. Small Ladies Chair Circa: 1900

Black stained wood (walnut), inlaid with white wood, metal, and covered in painted vellum with hand painted floral motif’s.

Decorated with wrought copper applications.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris Size: 36” x 12” 25

7. An Amazing Circular Wall Mirror

Circa: 1900 Two tone wood profusely inlaid with bone, hand beaten copper and pewter. Wrought iron hinged door enclosing three graduated trinket draws.

Complete with original key.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris 26

Size: 29” x 31”

The Circular motif as shown here in this Circular mirror was widely explored by Bugatti and is featured in some of his very best work.

The incredible small bone pieces that are so intricately laid with the upmost precision, add another dimension to the piece.

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Beautifully inlaid with floral motifs and intrically detailed with bone and copper.

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8. An Rare & Important Kind Console & M

Circa: 1902 Polished walnut and black lacq profusely inlaid with hand beat pewter. Decorated throughout and white wood & bo

Provenance: Private Collec

Size: 110” x 52”

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t, One of a Mirror

quered wood, ten copper and with abalone one.

ction, Milan

”

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9. A Spectacular Walnut Ladies Desk & Chair

Circa: 1900 An extremely rare walnut ladies writing desk and matching chair. Black stainedwood inlaid profusely with metal and bone. Hand beaten copper adorn the desk and chair throughout.

Provenance: Private Collection, New York Size: Desk: 39” x 25” x 19” Chair: 36” x 12” x 18”

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Beautifully inlaid with repeating floral motifs and intrically detailed with bone, copper and pewter.

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10. Double Vanity or Lovers Mirror

Circa: 1902 Two toned stained wood profuesely inlaid with applications of pewter and brass, arranged in a precise geometric pattern.

Provenance: Private Collection, London Size: 7½” x 8” 38

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11. Throne Chair

Circa: 1900 Two toned stained wood profuesely inlaid with applications of pewter, brass and white wood, arranged in a precise geometric pattern. Vellum hand painted with ink wash illumintaions.

Provenance: Private Collection, Paris Size: 36” x 18” x 18”

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12. Spectacular Armchair

Circa: 1902 Two toned stained wood profuesely inlaid with applications of pewter, brass and white wood, arranged in a precise geometric pattern. The vellum is hand painted with ink wash illuminations.

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Provenance: Private Collection, Paris Size: 42” x 23½” x 24½”

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13. Exquisite Single Wall Corner Mirror Unit

Circa: 1902 This beautiful corner cupboard features decorative pewter inlay, two tone wood and wrought copper disks which have been hand beaten.Spectacular turned finials to the top. Compete with orignal silk tassels.

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Provenance: Private Collection, Paris Size: 61” x 17½” x 9½”

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14. A Rare pair of Painted & Gilded Corner Mirrored Units

Circa: 1881 ighly decorated with design and timber by Carlo Bugatti and the paint work by his good friend Pelligrini. Both have exqusitie shaped and champhered mirrors in the top part of the middle shelf. Painted covered doors reveal two cupboards, as does the painted circular doors of each unit.

Provenance: Private Collection, Milan Size: 62” x 17½” x 9½”

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15. Incredible & Rare Centre Table

Circa: 1900 This striking table is an incredible example by Carlo Bugatti. Featuring black stained wood, profusely inlaid with white wood, ivorine and pewter. The surface is covered in vellum with detailed hand painted illustrations of a Heron. All four sides are decorated with wrought copper disks and hand beaten copper on the legs.

Provenance: Private Collection, Milan Size: 31” x 66” x 39”

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16. Amazing Hexagonal T

Circa: 1900 A highly detailed hexagonal occasional ly inlaid with pewter, ivorine and copp patterns create a design that is both vis and incredibly intricate. In the centre motif of wheat in the wind and flying from inlaid pewter.

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Provenance: Private Collectio Size: 30” x 22” x 22”

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17. Exceptional Square Occasional Table

Circa: 1900 This incredible table displays two tone wood, inlayed with pewter and bone with delicate hand of two water birds on the surface of the work. A repetitive pattern of various flowers, stars an surface of the table. Hand beaten copper legs with ivorine detailing adds to the charm and b

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Provenance: Private Collection, Italy Size: 29” x 22” x 22”

d painted illustrations nd patterns adorn the beauty of this work.

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We would like to thank the following Museums and Organisations for their contribution and integrile imput into compiling this incredible collection.

• Musee d’Orsay, Paris • The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York • The Victoria and Albert Musuem, London • The Cleveland Musem of Art, Ohio •

22 & 23 St Marys Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1ED Tel: +44(0) 1743 343452/ +44(0) 7810 714545 USA Cell: +1 615 870 7639 art@callaghan-finepaintings.com/ www.callaghan-finepaintings.com Follow us @callaghansart

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22 & 23 St Marys Street Shrewsbury SY1 1ED, UK Tel: +44(0) 1743 343452 UK Mobile: +44(0) 7810 714545 USA Cell: +1 615 870 7639 art@callaghan-finepaintings.com www.callaghan-finepaintings.com Follow us @callaghansart

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