Century Furniture Burl and Lacquer Cocktail Table, Excellent
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Century Furniture Burl and Lacquer Cocktail Table, Excellent
About the Item
- Creator:Century Furniture (Manufacturer),Raymond K. Sobota (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)Width: 42 in (106.68 cm)Depth: 42 in (106.68 cm)
- Style:Chinoiserie (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:Completely restored; just lacquered. Pristine condition.
- Seller Location:Raleigh, NC
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU112822447922
Century Furniture
Known for its durable vintage display cabinets, nightstands and dressers made of cherry, oak, walnut and more, Century Furniture of Hickory, North Carolina, began as an upholstered goods company in 1947 but added case goods and sophisticated mahogany dining-room furnishings shortly thereafter.
Launched by Harley Ferguson Shuford Sr., a Hickory native who was born to a family of textile mill owners, Century Furniture was intended to be “the best furniture company in the world.” With respect to speed and efficiency, the brand found its footing midway through production on a government contract that Shuford had secured in the early days to manufacture thousands of five-drawer chests. The effort was significant, but it was also a teachable moment as far as Shuford and his team’s learning the ropes of running a factory.
After hiring designer Raymond K. Sobota in 1950 and introducing the enormously popular Citation Collection in 1954, Century established its reputation as a leader in stylishly designed high-quality furniture. Sobota had furniture in his blood — after graduating from Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he worked for his uncle Karl Schmidt, who was at the time a well-known furniture designer for Berkey and Gay and other makers in the Grand Rapids area, then known as America’s furniture capital. Sobota soon launched his own studio, designing furniture as a freelancer for various local manufacturers. Shuford found him by happenstance, journeying to Michigan’s second-largest city to offer a job to another designer who turned him down but recommended Sobota instead.
Century’s Citation line — a sizable collection for the brand that spanned furnishings for the bedroom, dining room and more — is revered in the world of vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors. The pieces sold very well during the 1950s, and the line is an oft-cited success story for Sobota, who would go on to win awards for his work and whose own catalogue of designs for the brand is massive.
In his 40-year career at Century, until he retired in 1995, he designed well over 100 furniture lines. Sobota’s nightstands, cabinets, side tables and more are characterized by his interest in Asian design, distinctly and brilliantly expressed in his Hollywood Regency–style Chin Hua line, which debuted during the 1970s. With its geometrically decorative brass drawer pulls and door handles as well as dining-chair seat-back carvings — all inspired by Asian motifs — this collection has rendered vintage pieces that saw Century’s craftsmen working with alluring ebonized walnut and more, some of the company’s most sought-after work today.
Also in the 1970s as well as in the 1980s, Manhattan interior designer Jay Spectre introduced an Art Deco–informed spirit at Century Furniture, creating oversize, inviting lounge chairs and bentwood benches that featured plush tufted leather cushions. Spectre’s Eclipse collection was at one point among the largest-selling lines for the brand.
Century licensed collections with celebrity interior designers such as Thomas O’Brien, Charlotte Moss and Bunny Williams among others. In 2013, when Alex Shuford III was named president of Century Furniture, the move marked the succession of the third generation to lead this company, which is today one of the world’s largest privately held manufacturers of high-end furniture.
Find Century Furniture lounge chairs and dining chairs as well as vintage mid-century modern credenzas, dressers and more on 1stDibs.
- Ming Style Black & Burl Coffee Table Attributed Chin Hua Collection by SabotaBy Raymond K. Sobota, Century FurnitureLocated in Topeka, KSFabulous vintage Ming Style black & burl coffee table Attributed to Chin Hua Collection by Raymond K. Sabota for Century Furniture. This piece has been attributed based upon archived research including online sources, vintage documentation and catalogs, designer literature, and other materials. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear even if it has been refinished or restored. Specifically, it has small nicks, dings, & scratches in the black lacquer frame that we have touched up and possible scratches on the burl top. Please see photos and zoom in for details as they are part of the condition report. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, Late 20th Century. There are lots of coffee tables in this world. But once in a blue moon you come across a TREASURE of a coffee table like this one!!! This piece is attributed to the original Chin Hua Collection designed by Raymond K. Sobota for Century Furniture in 1975. The entire collection was retired in1998 after a 23-year successful run. So successful that Century Furniture reissued the collection in 2012. And it is no wonder they revived it. The Chin Hua Collection was one of Century’s most revered collections of all time. And although not marked, this incredible piece bears a striking resemblance to his masterpieces and the paper label on its underside, although hard to read, bears a strong resemblance to the Century Furniture labels. Playing with Ming Style and a bit of Chinoiserie flair this piece has been designed oh-so-handsomely. It is comprised of a sultry black or ebony square wood frame and Ming style legs with a beautiful burl wood inset top. It’s simple and stunning and will add an exquisite presence to your living or family room and will harmonize with or accent many other design styles from mid-century modern to industrial and more. Raymond Karl Sobota (1914-2010) is an award-winning American furniture designer. He attended and obtained his degree in design from Kendall College of Art and Design in his native home of Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating in 1946 Sobota apprenticed with his namesake and uncle, a furniture designer as well, Karl Schmidt, who designed for Berkey and Gay Furniture Company. He apprenticed for seven years leading to his designing for Grand Rapids Bookcase and Chair Co., the Mt. Airy Furniture Co., Hekman Furniture and finally Century Furniture for whom he designed from 1952 until 1995. He designed all the company’s wood furniture during that time totally, over 150 collections. The most notable being Citation, Chin Hua, Claridge, and the Henry Ford Museum and the British National Trust collections...Category
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