1stDibs Carlo Bugatti The Study

Feb. 26, 2025

Italian furniture designer Carlo Bugatti may not have achieved the fame of his son, automobile manufacturer Ettore Bugatti, but his work is equally revered. Culling motifs from Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Gothic designs, the elder Bugatti (1856–1940) fashioned furnishings that are flamboyant medleys of swooping curves and asymmetry, as well as geometric carving, metal inlays, silk tassels and painted parchment. Working primarily on commission in his native Italy and in France, Bugatti embraced the excess of the Aesthetic Movement and Art Nouveau, paving the way for future visionaries like Piero Fornasetti and the Memphis design collective. Antiques dealer Francis Lord has shepherded dozens of Bugatti pieces through his Montreal shop, Milord Antiques, and its sister space at the New York Design Center. Among his current offerings is a side chair that the designer produced in 1902, which Lord plans to exhibit at this year’s Winter Show, running January 24 through February 2 at New York’s Park Avenue Armory. Lord’s booth will be adorned with metallic bronze wallcovering from English producer Fromental, providing an attractive complement to Bugatti’s earthy, organic designs. Although less elaborate than some of Bugatti’s other pieces, the chair is a brilliant encapsulation of his oeuvre. Its rectilinear walnut frame is accented with a hand-embellished goatskin-parchment back that surrounds a medallion crafted from embossed copper ringed by walnut inlaid with copper, brass and pewter.