Vintage Large Conference Table by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970s

Large conference table produced by Saporiti on a project by Giovanni Offredi in 1970. Bird’s-eye maple veneer finished in pearl polish. Very rare model (the only one on the market at this moment), Postmodern design. Good condition, a defect of varnish at the end of the table, the wood pattern makes this defect barely noticeable. Please see pictures. About the designer: Giovanni Offredi (Milan 1927–Milan 2007) began designing in 1963. His style was always characterized by his ability to carry out precise aesthetic-technical analyses of his products. In his approach to Industrial Design, balance is determined by a careful and incisive ratio of proportions. In other words by a plastic solidity combined with a creative liberty free of conventional constraints. “Design is the Raison d’Etre of an object: from the thousands of possible shapes that can be attributed, one is chosen, the most significant and expressive of the cultural moment within us, in harmony with our times.” About the maker : Since 1950, Saporiti have been designing and producing some of the most sophisticated and advanced furniture in the history of Italian design, in collaboration with some of the world’s most famous architects and designers. Some of Saporiti Italy’s works have been presented in the most famous museums of modern art and design in the world. Bird’s eye is a type of figure that occurs within several kinds of wood, most notably in hard maple. It has a distinctive pattern that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain. It is somewhat reminiscent of a burl, but it is quite different: the small knots that make the burl are missing. Bird’s eye maple may be expensive, up to several times the cost of ordinary hardwood. It is used in refined specialty products, such as in automobile trim, luxury furniture inlays, guitars, yatchs furniture.