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.
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...
Carnelian
Black Lacquered Resin Table by Ado Chale, Belgium
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Black Lacquered Resin Table by Ado Chale, Belgium
Resin
$154,000
H 13.78 in W 54.73 in D 52.37 in
Ado Chale 'Goutte d’Eau' Free-Form Coffee Table in Aluminium
By Ado Chale
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ado Chale, Goutte d’Eau coffee table, cast aluminum, lacquered steel, Belgium, ca. 1977 The Goutte D’Eau coffee table is exemplary for Ado Chale’s exceptional talent in creating int...
Aluminum, Steel
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 ...
Chrome
Ado Chale style brutalist stone coffee table
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Ado Chale style brutalist stone coffee table.
Resin
$26,630
H 14.57 in W 47.25 in D 23.63 in
Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale , Belgium - Signed
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Pepper Coffee Table by Ado Chale , Belgium - Signed
Resin, Wood
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...
Steel
Muller's of Mexico Onyx Pedestal Dining or Center Table
By Muller of Mexico
Located in Highland, IN
This uncommon table by Guy Muller for Muller's of Mexico is crafted of two colors of onyx with inlaid brass details. The elegant hourglass shaped base supports a 47" top. The scale ...
Onyx, Brass
Neoclassic Greek Key Wrought Iron Center or Dining Table
Located in Pasadena, CA
Timeless classicism, a beautiful Neoclassic style, Greek key table of wrought iron, early 20th century. The table could be used as either a center table or smaller scale dining table.
Wrought Iron
$3,000
H 30 in W 102 in D 48 in
Round Rosewood Pedestal Center or Dining Table, 1950s by Maitland Ward
Located in Southampton, NY
Regency style round rosewood center or dining table, 1950s by Maitland Ward, ebony banding. 48" round table - closed. Perfect for a center table or a bre...
Rosewood
Italian Brass and Chrome Center or Dining Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Italian Brass and Chrome Center or Dining Table, Italy, circa 1960s.
Metal
Maison Jansen Royal Black Lacquered Dining Table
By Maison Jansen
Located in Montreal, Quebec
One of Maison Jansen's most emblematic creations, this exceptional dining table model was first created by Maison Jansen in 1950 and called "Royal", and continued to be produced with...
Brass, Steel
$16,371 / item
H 29.53 in W 118.12 in D 51.19 in
Oval Dining Table in Scratch-Resistant Lacquered Resin
By Albino Miranda
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Handcrafted of fiber reinforced resin, a forceful material for extreme weather conditions. Lacquered in matte beige with protective UV coat. Dimensions (cm): 300 x 130 x 75 Dimensio...
Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
Dining or Center Table in natural Oak by Tinatin Kilaberidze
By Tinatin Kilaberidze
Located in New York, NY
A stunning dining table by Tinatin Kilaberidze. Tinatin Kilaberidze who works with geometric forms chose this Pentagon shape for a dining table that can be used alone or as a pair t...
Wood
Sold
H 29.14 in W 102.37 in D 39.38 in
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
Bronze
Sold
H 51.58 in W 119.69 in D 29.14 in
Dining Table with Bone Buttons and Resin by Ado Chale, Belgium, 1970s
By Ado Chale
Located in Brussels, BE
Dining table with bone buttons and resin by Ado Chale, Belgium, 1970s.
Resin