Jean Gillon Italma sideboard Brazil 1960

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Jean Gillon Italma sideboard Brazil 1960

About the Item

Very nice and rare sideboard designed by Jean Gillon and manufactured by Italma, Brazil 1960. Made from patchwork rosewood veneer, which draws inspiration from designs by Jorge Zalszupin for l'Atelier. The thoughtful design features slightly angled corners on the left and right. The right side of the sideboard has two sliding doors that move in both directions, with the locks removed for easy access. You have the option to use the open space for displaying books or collectibles, with shelves on each side. On the left side, three drawers with cool modernist block handles offer practical storage. The handles have a minimal half-rounded shape when viewed from the top. The sideboard also retains its original metal facility tag at the back. This piece can function as well as a practical as an easthetical piece. Jean Gillon, originally from Romania and later a naturalized Brazilian, gained prominence as an architect-designer through his company Italma WoodArt. In the 1960s and 1970s, he crafted furniture collections using Brazilian rosewood. Gillon’s early years involved living in various European cities, and after studying arts in Iași, he moved to Paris, where he engaged in cartooning and set design. His architectural studies took him to Vienna and later London, where he became a visiting lecturer. In 1956, Gillon and his wife Edith relocated to São Paulo, drawn by the vibrant Brazilian architecture scene. Initially focusing on architecture, Gillon shifted to furniture design in 1961, founding Fábrica de Móveis Cidam, later known as Italma WoodArt. By the mid-1960s, his WoodArt designs, especially lounge chairs and sofas made of rosewood and Brazilian leather, gained popularity in Brazil. In 1964, Gillon expanded globally, exporting his products to twenty-two countries. One of Gillon’s notable designs was the Jangada Chair (1968), a lounge chair and ottoman inspired by a traditional Brazilian fishing boat. Its unique design garnered global acclaim and continued to receive awards long after its production.

Creator:
Jean Gillon (Designer),Italma (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 64.97 in (165 cm)Depth: 17.72 in (45 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Rosewood
Place of Origin:
Brazil
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960
Condition:
Replacements made: Locks removed. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Roosendaal, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU933039735322

Shop All Jean Gillon

Jean Gillon

Although he was Romanian by birth, architect and designer Jean Gillon’s heart and soul belonged to his adopted country of Brazil. The country’s culture and revered architecture served as a muse for his mid-century furniture designs. Today Gillon ranks among the most interesting figures in Brazilian modernism, which is characterized by sensual forms and beautifully handcrafted chairs, tables and cabinets built from exotic hardwoods.

Gillon was born in Iasi and graduated from the city’s George Enescu National University of the Arts. He then moved to Paris, where he studied tapestry, worked at the newspaper Le Monde as a cartoonist and moonlighted as a set designer for the Paris Opera Ballet. He eventually left Paris for Vienna, where he studied architecture at the School of Industrial Arts, known today as the University of Applied Arts. In the early 1950s, Gillon was a visiting lecturer at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts.

In 1956, Gillon moved with his wife and two daughters to São Paulo, where he developed a passion for Brazilian architecture, namely the work of modernists such as celebrated architect Lina Bo Bardi and designer José Zanine Caldas. Gillon took on interior decorating projects and formed the Fábrica de Móveis Cidam, which later became Italma Wood Art, in order to design furniture for his clients. Gillon’s furnishings, produced at Italma and also in collaboration with manufacturers such as Probel, were immensely popular and could be found in the planned capital city of Brasilia, a project launched in 1956 by Oscar Niemeyer.

Gillon designed everything from bowls and baskets to centerpieces, tables and other objects and furniture. However, he was best known for his lounge chairs and sofas, including his iconic Jangada chair. Named for the Portuguese word for traditional Brazilian fishing boats, the award-winning Jangada was framed in jacaranda in the late 1960s. The welcoming seat of Gillon’s visually striking trapezoidal lounge chair features plush leather cushions that are supported by nylon fishing rope.

Gillon continued to produce furniture for Italma Wood Art until he retired in 2003. He died in 2007, and today Gillon’s pieces remain highly covetable among interior designers and collectors of modern furniture.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Jean Gillon seating, decorative objects and serveware.