Skip to main content

Ado Chale Furniture

Known to some as “the alchemist of high minerals,” Ado Chale uses semi-precious stones, metals and organic materials like fossilized sequoia and redwoods in his marvelous tables and decorative objects. Over the course of his long career, the prolific Belgian designer, sculptor and decorator turned a passion for mineralogy and love for the natural world into elegant, sculptural furniture.

Born Adolphe Pelsener in Brussels in 1928, the designer learned cabinetry from his woodworker father and trained in ironwork at a young age under local blacksmiths. During a trip to Germany in the late 1950s, he became enamored with minerals, and turned his attention to creating seating, tables and other furnishings with a range of unconventional materials.

At the beginning of the 1960s, Pelsener changed his name to Ado Chale and opened a gallery in Brussels with his wife, a gemologist named Huguette Schaal. He began to create sophisticated mosaic inlays for tabletops using pyrite fragments. He worked with malachite and turquoise and also worked in metal, producing decorative objects and furniture like his iconic aluminum goutte d’eau coffee tables. Chale used epoxy resin to lend his tables an opulent sheen. His incorporation of exquisite natural materials like agate and petrified wood rendered his furniture unlike anything else. Chale’s work was soon in high demand — his clientele included the Belgian royal family and notable architects and designers like Alberto Pinto, Peter Marino and Jacques Grange.

In 1967, Chale’s designs were included in the Universal Exhibition in Montreal. In the decades since, he has continued to exhibit his work, including at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels in 2017.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Ado Chale tables, lighting and more.

to
1
8
3
11
6
1
11
3
7
1
5
2
6
4
4
4
3
11
11
11
11
11
5
7,536
3,967
2,548
2,244
Creator: Ado Chale
Ado Chale 'Goutte d’Eau' Coffee Table in Aluminium
By Ado Chale
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ado Chale, Goutte d’Eau coffee table, cast aluminum, lacquered steel, Belgium, 1978 The Goutte D’Eau coffee table is exemplary for Ado Chale’s exceptional talent in creating interio...
Category

1970s Belgian Post-Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Ado Chale Black Resin Coffee Table Inlayed with Malachite
By Ado Chale
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ado Chale, coffee table, resin, malachite, lacquered steel, Belgium, circa 1975 This coffee table, in black resin and inlayed malachite, is a beautiful work by the Belgian autodidac...
Category

1970s Belgian Post-Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Malachite, Steel

Dining or center table by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
Dining or center table by Ado Chale. Large dining table or center table with a resin top inlaid with Carnelian agate stones. Equipped with a double tripod foot with wide spacer. (Six...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Carnelian

Ado Chale, "Goutte D’eau" Coffee Table, Aluminum, Black Metal, Belgium, 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in High Point, NC
A "Goutte D’eau", aluminum and black metal coffee table designed and produced by Ado Chale, Brussels, Belgium, 1970s.
Category

1970s Belgian Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Ado Chale Rare Fossilized Wood Top Table 1960s
By Ado Chale
Located in New York, NY
Extraordinary coffee table incorporating a polished fossilized wood top with jewel tones on a black metal base by Ado Chale, Belgium 1960's. There are...
Category

1960s Belgian Organic Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal

Ado Chale Early "Goutte d'Eau" Coffee Table in Bronze Signed, Belgium 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in New York, NY
Ado Chale early rare "Goutte d'eau" oval coffee table with cast bronze table top on two sets of tripod black lacquered metal bases. This exquisite sculptural coffee table was made by...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Steel

Mid-Century Modern Lamp in Petrifies Wood by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in London, GB
This fine quality brass table lamp with one light, which directs a beam onto a large slab of petrified wood. Signed to base. There were only around five of these examples ever made ...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Petrified Wood

Circular high pedestal table by Ado Chale, Belgium
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
High circular pedestal table, in black resin inlaid with bone marquetry arranged in 4 circles of abstract design. The top resting on a large tripod foot with round sections, the rou...
Category

20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Resin

Ado Chale Circular Coffee Table Black Resin and Petrified Wood
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Ado Chale circular coffee table black resin and Arizona petrified wood, circa 1980, signed by the artist. Very good condition.
Category

1980s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Stone

1980s Pastilles Illuminating Coffee table by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in Paris, FR
Ado Chale ‘‘Pastilles’’ illuminated coffee table, 1983 Mosaic of cornaline agate stones and resin H. 35 x 150ø cm Son of a woodworker, Ado Chale spent his formative years in the Belgian countryside and began working with metal at a young age, training initially as an iron-worker. In the 1950s, he began working with sheet metal on which he would test various methods of printing with enamel. However, it was on a trip to Germany that he found his true passion: mineralogy. Stones, precious and semi-precious as well as fossils and other natural minerals, became the focal point of his self-taught artistic path. In 1961, Chale opened a mineral shop in Brussels where he showed his first creations featuring inclusions of marcasite, a dark stone he discovered on the beaches of the Cape of Blanc- Nez in northern France. By 1965, these creations had garnered significant attention and he began to widen the range of his creations. He began working with a great variety of stones and fossilized wood and developing new techniques, one of the most remarkable of which is featured in the ‘‘Pastilles’’ coffee table: the integration of light. Noticing the transformation of certain stones when lit from a certain angle, Chale aimed to demonstrate the delicate details that remained hidden without this illumination. With this objective in mind, he began integrating lighting systems beneath the mosaic tops of his coffee tables, a rare technique of which Chale was a true pioneer. Beyond the striking effect achieved through the illumination of his tables, Chale’s mastery in mosaic resulted in truly unique tabletops - no two mosaics exactly the same. Over the years, Chale’s creations found their way into some of the world’s most prestigious collections, both private and public, including those of the British royal family, the King of Saudi Arabia, Belgium’s King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola, and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of Ado Chale’s creation, an occasion celebrated with a landmark exhibition at the Galerie Yves Gastou.
Category

1980s Belgian Futurist Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Agate

Sphere by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
“Sphere”, bronze sculpture by Ado Chale. The bronze sphere features subtle undulations that add to its character and appeal. The smooth surface of the bronze catches the light, high...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Related Items
Black Resin and Agate Coffee Table by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in London, GB
Black resin coffee table sitting on a wooden base with inset agate, designed by Ado Chale. Signed 'Chale' to the front with a ruby. Ado Chale ...
Category

1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Resin

Black Resin and Agate Coffee Table by Ado Chale
Black Resin and Agate Coffee Table by Ado Chale
H 13.78 in W 55.52 in D 24.22 in
Rare coffee table by Willy Rizzo, 1960s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in amstelveen, NL
Extremely rare prototype Willy Rizzo low laminated wood table made up by one central element and one perimetral element, adjustable in height. Prototype for the Willy Rizzo residence...
Category

1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Laminate

Rare coffee table by Willy Rizzo, 1960s
Rare coffee table by Willy Rizzo, 1960s
H 17.33 in W 50.79 in D 50.79 in
1960s Chrome Serving Trolley Coffee Table Smoked Glass Top & Faux Laminated Wood
By Gallotti & Radice
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-Century Modern Italy chrome serving trolley or coffee table, with smoked glass top with under faux laminated wood.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Steel

Metal and Glass Coffee Table, 1970s
Located in PARIS, FR
Rectangular coffee table in metal with a glass top. The top perfectly complements the metal structure that supports the entire piece. Its minimalist design is reminiscent of the work...
Category

Late 20th Century Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal

Metal and Glass Coffee Table, 1970s
Metal and Glass Coffee Table, 1970s
H 12.21 in W 31.89 in D 20.87 in
1970s Sculptural Chrome Dining Or Center Table
By Pace Furniture Company
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Modern sleek and sculptural chrome 1970s tubular dining or center table. This table is simply stunning. The photographs really capture its beauty. Curved chrome supports reflect and ...
Category

1970s American Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Large Rectangular Red Single Form Coffee Table in Aluminium - Customisable
By Jo Wilton and Mirka Grohn
Located in Leicester, GB
The large Single Form coffee table is an elemental design with a focus on form and function. Made in powder-coated aluminium, the Single Form coffee table looks heavy and solid but i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary British Minimalist Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Amazing French Coffee Table in Brushed Aluminium with wooden Bar
Located in Munich, DE
Very cool and geometric look.
Category

1970s French Space Age Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal

Country French Dining or Center Table by Pierre Deux
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Pierre Deux hand forged steel dining or center table with brass ball accent and glass top. The diameter of glass top is 39.75". Table diameter alone is 38". The table can a...
Category

20th Century French Country Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Brass, Steel

Exceptional artisan chain link coffee table, Belgium 1970s.
By Franz West
Located in Antwerp, BE
This exceptional artisan coffee table, crafted in Belgium during the 1970s, is a striking example of bold, sculptural design. Featuring large chain links made of black enameled iron,...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Iron

Large Elegant Restored Vintage Circular Dining or Center Table by McGuire
By McGuire
Located in Atlanta, GA
An exceptional restored large circular dining or center table by McGuire, circa 1980. Stout, heavy steel frame construction veneered in bamboo; leather wrapped detail in the iconic M...
Category

1980s American Organic Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Steel

Christian Krekels signed Belgian Etched brass Coffee Table 1970
By Christian Krekels
Located in Paris, IDF
This is a beautiful Belgium coffee table signed by Christian Krekels in the late 1970s. The table features a beautiful decorative etched brass table top, and is set on a large wood b...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Brass

Rare 1960s G Plan Midcentury Tiled Coffee Table
By G Plan Furniture
Located in London, GB
A high quality G Plan item. A square coffee table with solid, sculpted teak frame, inlaid with patterned ceramic tiles. In superb condition. (Partial remnant of G Plan red and gold sticker...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Teak

Previously Available Items
Ado Chale Oval Dining Table with Mosaic Top in Jade Wyoming
By Ado Chale
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ado Chale, dining table, jade Wyoming (nephrite jade), resin, lacquered steel, Belgium, 1970 Crafted in 1970 by the autodidact Belgian artist Ado Chale, this monumental table stands...
Category

1970s Belgian Post-Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Jade, Steel

Round Ado Chale Coffee Table, Oeil de Tigre, Belgium
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Round Ado Chale Coffee Table, Oeil de Tigre, Belgium
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal

Dining Table Goutte d'Eau by Ado Chale, Bronze, Belgium - Signed, 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Dining Table Goutte d'Eau by Ado Chale, Bronze, Belgium - Signed
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Large Ado Chale Coffee Table, Oeil de Tigre, Belgium
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Large Ado Chale Coffee Table, Oeil de Tigre, Belgium Metalworker by training, Belgian designer Ado Chale discovered mineralogy during a journey in Germany in the 1950’s. He cultivated his passion alongside his wife, Huguette Schaal, who became a gemologist herself. Together they traveled the world in search of semi-precious stones and rare materials to create decorative items as well as exceptional and unique pieces of furniture. More than a designer, Ado Chale can also be designate as a skilled craftsman and alchemist, always researching and experimenting combinations of chemicals that would allow him to give shape to his ideas. From Brussels to Montréal, from Paris to Tokyo, Ado Chale was invited to exhibit his works internationally and became an emblematic figure of the world of art and design. Chale's creations notoriously attracts a sophisticated clientele and is much appreciated by members of the aristocracy in Belgium and all over the world as well as by representatives of the Haute Couture such as Dior...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Resin, Precious Stone

Table Lamp by Ado Chale, 1975, Belgium
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Ado Chale work puts naturalistic materials at the centre of his creation. The present lamp presents a petrified wood stone, rich in colors. Chale created the made to measure solid br...
Category

1970s Belgian Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Brass

Table Lamp by Ado Chale, 1975, Belgium
Table Lamp by Ado Chale, 1975, Belgium
H 24.02 in W 8.67 in D 8.67 in
Suite of four “vide poche”in bronze by Ado Chale mi
By Ado Chale
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Rare serie of 4 “vide poche”in casted bronze made in late seventies by famous Belgian designer Ado Chale . Some patina and oxidation on the bronze. It can of course be cleaned and ev...
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Backlit cocktail table by Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
Backlit cocktail table by Ado Chale Backlit cocktail table by Ado Chale. Backlit table in resin decorated with half-moon mosaic of carnelian agate. Black...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Agate, Carnelian

Backlit cocktail table by Ado Chale
Backlit cocktail table by Ado Chale
H 14.57 in W 39.38 in D 39.38 in
Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale, Belgium, 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale, Belgium, 1970s.
Category

1970s Belgian Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale, Belgium, 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale , Belgium, 1970s Signed.
Category

1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Wood

Ado Châle Table “Goutte D’eau” Bronze Belgium 1980 Signed
By Ado Chale
Located in Paris, FR
Ado châle table “goutte d’eau” bronze Belgium circa 1980 signed. Iconic bronze table "goutte d'eau "by Belgium artist ado Chale. 3 feet in metal Very good...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Agate relief by Ado Chale – Cast bronze coffee table
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
Bronze coffee table resting on two black painted steel tripod legs. The model named “agate relief” represents a molding of a resin table inlaid with agate produced by the artist.
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Goutte d’eau 'Teardrop' by Ado Chale, Pair of High Tables or Pedestal Tables
By Ado Chale
Located in Uccle, BE
Pair of high tables in cast bronze of slightly different heights. The top rests on a black painted steel tripod foot. The model is named by the a...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ado Chale Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Ado Chale furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Ado Chale furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ado Chale furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Ado Chale were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Jean Claude Dresse, Lova Creations, and Etienne Allemeersch. Prices for Ado Chale furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,943 and can go as high as $105,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $28,538.
Questions About Ado Chale Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    While both pieces are relatively new to the furniture world, the main difference between them are their shapes. A cocktail table is generally square or rectangular in shape, while a coffee table tends to be oval or circular in shape. You can shop a collection of furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All