The Piece:
The Etruscan Table by John Dickinson,
in his signature matte white plaster. 
Dickinson was an American interior and furniture
designer (1920-1982). Created during the 1970s, animal-legged chairs and tables such as this are amongst his is most
iconic work.
The historical
reference
Specifically Egyptian. We see animal-leg or
paw motifs incorporated into furniture design throughout the eras, so this alone is not unique to the ancient Egyptians. What
distinguishes Egyptian pieces is that the animal paws are typically all facing in
the same forwards direction, which we view as naturalistic. By the classical periods
of Greece and Rome, we see a greater emphasis on symmetry, with animal legs facing
outwards, in opposite directions. And so it continued from then on.
In addition to Egyptian design, Dickinson referenced other styles, eras and global currents in his work.
Present
day
During the three decade break in production,
Dickinson’s whimsical pieces remained popular with decorators and collectors
alike, commanding premium prices in the secondary market. At a recent auction at
Christie’s in New York (Important 20th
Century Decorative Art & Design on December 17, 2011), a vintage Dickinson
side table fetched USD $24,000 (net), nearly three times its pre-auction high estimate
of $9,000. This is in line with pricing through dealers (check out the current
offering at www.1stdibs.com).
It will be interesting to see what happens to
the prices these vintage pieces can command in light of the availability of the
new production (the Sutherland collection is priced from USD $970 to $3,500 and
available to the trade only). I’ll be watching!
References & Credits:
Egyptian Chair pictured above: New Kingdom (1550-1186 BCE), wood with ivory inlay. Collection of the Louvre, Paris
www.sutherlandfurniture.com
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