Ado Chale Decorative Objects
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.
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Creator: Ado Chale
Huge Bronze sphere by Ado Chale mid modern century
By Ado Chale
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Ado Chale’s Bronze Sphere
This captivating bronze sphere, a testament to the artistic genius of Ado Chale, exudes timeless elegance. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it ...
Category
1980s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ado Chale Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
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Ado Chale decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Ado Chale decorative objects are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original decorative objects by Ado Chale were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 1970s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider decorative objects by Yves Rhayé, Perignem, and Joseph Simon. Prices for Ado Chale decorative objects can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,943 and can go as high as $17,521, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $10,232.