José Zanine Caldas (1919-2001) was a self-taught architect and designer born in Belmonte, on the southern coast of Bahia in Brazil. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Jequitinhonha River, early 20th century Belmonte was an enclave steeped in the tradition of agricultural and fishing merchants, abundant in natural resources and of rich vernacular culture. From a young age, Zanine was spellbound by local artisans who crafted canoes, furniture and homes using their hands and rudimentary tools. He absorbed their skills through observation, entranced by the concept of creating something significant from seemingly nothing.
Zanine’s innate dexterity and resourcefulness became evident in his early life. At just thirteen years old, he began building nativity scenes for local families, fashioning them from discarded materials. This notion of rescuing, repurposing and breathing new life into waste from his natural surroundings would come to shape his work nearly four decades later when he returned to his birth state of Bahia in 1968. It was there, in Nova Viçosa, that he found himself profoundly disturbed by the widespread deforestation of the Atlantic Forest. In an act of protest, he created the ‘Móveis Denúncia’ (protest furniture), carved and chiselled from salvaged wood.
José Zanine Caldas with scale models of the ‘Móveis Denúncia’ series at Nova Viçosa, 1977.
Photo: © Florence GruèreThe present Rare free-form coffee table is a testament to Zanine’s distinctive design approach. Crafted from Pequi wood, it features a thick, intricately crafted tabletop resting atop a stout, waist carved base. Both sections of the table possess a striking raw beauty resulting from Zanine’s thoughtful carving along the grain and not against it, revealing the imperfect beauty of the wood’s surfaces, naturally occurring patterns and knots. The idea at the heart of this technique was to let the wood continue to live on as it does, with minimal interference.
Zanine’s reverence for local materials led him to showcase the breadth and beauty of Brazilian exotic woods through his designs like no one else could. He once said,“My consciousness is a product of my own joy, which is connected to the love and beauty that create in me the pleasure of making.” His life was fuelled by an innate urge to create. He was the very embodiment of the Homo-faber and a champion of Brazilian traditional craftsmanship. Zanine preserved the values of craftsmanship, embracing time-honoured techniques which are most celebrated in his Joatinga housing project in Rio de Janeiro and in his ‘Móveis Denúncia’ pieces. He was driven by the pursuit of perfection and those who surrounded him often speak of his meticulous attention to detail and obsession with proportion.
This rare work was once the property of Vera Brant. Her close friendship with Zanine resulted in her displaying many of his designs in her home which was once considered one of the most important residences of Brasilia. Notably, Brant played a significant role in the formation of the city, having collaborated with Darcy Ribeiro, the Minister of Education at the time, to establish the UNB – University of Brasilia, during the 1960s. Her influence extended to a prominent circle within Brazilian politics and culture, and her residence was a frequent gathering place for individuals such as Tom Jobim, Jorge Amado, Juscelino Kubitschek, Oscar Niemeyer and Zanine Caldas, amongst others.
Provenance
Vera Brant, Brasilia, likely gifted directly from the designer
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2006Literature
Alberto Vicente and Marcelo Vasconcellos, eds., Brazilian Modern Design, São Paulo, 2017, illustrated p. 171
47
Rare free-form coffee table
circa 1970
Brazilian pequi.
47.6 x 122.5 x 109 cm (18 3/4 x 48 1/4 x 42 7/8 in.)
Produced by the Zanine Caldas workshop, Nova Viçosa, Bahia, Brazil. Tabletop painted Zanine. Together with a certificate of authenticity from the Instituto José Zanine Caldas.
Estimate
£30,000 - 50,000 Ω
Sold for £30,480
Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
Design
London Auction 31 October 2023
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