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.
Jean Gillon, Solid wood coffee table. c. 1960. Label of the Probel workshop
By Jean Gillon
Located in PARIS, FR
The coffee table designed by Jean Gillon is a remarkable piece in solid wood, with a thick removable top with square cutouts in the corners. This feature adds a touch of sophisticati...
Hardwood
Coffee Table in Jacaranda Wood and Glass by Jean Gillon — Brazil, 1960s
By Jean Gillon
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Square coffee table in solid rosewood and glass, with two support surfaces. Rare piece, already restored and ready for delivery.
Glass, Wood
$89,700
H 30.01 in W 125.99 in D 36.03 in
Rosewood Dining Table by Jean Gillon, Italma, 1960s, Brazilian Midcentury
By Italma, Jean Gillon
Located in New York, NY
This fantastic dining table was designed in the 1960s by Jean Gillon (1919-2007), a Romanian-born architect, artist, and designer who landed in Brazil in 1956. The piece has a solid Rosewood structure, with a veneered top and extensions that comfortably accommodate six to ten seats. Gillon created an extensive and varied production of furniture, drawings, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, costumes, and scenarios for theater. In 1961, he opened his own company to manufacture furniture, Cidam, a company that came to be called WoodArt. In addition to this brand, other Brazilian furniture...
Rosewood
$16,800
H 12.41 in Dm 39.38 in
Rosewood and marble Coffee Table by Unknown designer, Brazilian Midentury, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
The iconic Brazilian designs inspired many other craftsmen and small manufacturers with their vanguard production concerning Brazilian materiality and the "modern values" of the form...
Marble
$38,277
H 12.21 in W 53.94 in D 26.78 in
Jorge Zalszupin, Coffee Table Model “Romana”, Jacaranda, Marble, Brazil, 1960s
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in Barcelona, ES
Jorge Zalszupin Coffee table model “Romana” Manufactured by L’Atelier Brazil, 1960s Jacaranda, marble From the archives of Side Gallery, Barcelona Measurements: 137.16 cm x 68.58 cm x 30.48 H cm 54 in x 27 in x 12 H in Literature Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos, Jorge Zalszupin, Design Moderno no Brasil, Éditions Olhares, São Paulo 2014 Concept Jorge Zalszupin collaboration with Oscar Niemeyer, a legend of Brazilian modernism, had a great influence on his aesthetics. He made his way to Brazil at the precise moment when the Brazilian form of modernistic architecture was being shaped by Niemeyer, Le Corbusier, and Lucio Costa. Zalszupin’s furniture fits perfectly with the style of this period in design. In his designs, Zalszupin blends simplicity of form with sensuality. Materials of the highest quality are the essence of his design practice. With a marble top affixed on thin, exquisitely curved wooden bases, the Romana coffee table...
Marble
$3,500
H 13.78 in W 40.56 in D 20.08 in
Mid-Century Modern Wood Center Table by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern wood center table by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s Center table created in the 1960s by the acclaimed Brazilian designer...
Plywood, Hardwood
Jean Gillon Probel Coffee Table
By Jean Gillon
Located in Washington, DC
Coffee table designed by Brazilian master Jean Gillon for Probel. Contains manufacturer's label.
Wood
Mar solid ash wood Coffee Table
By Capital Studio
Located in Mexico City, MX
The Mar coffee table, with contemporary style, was designed from the interaction and conversation that arise around a central table. This piece of furniture was born to smooth the in...
Wood, Ash
$6,958
H 16.54 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in
Giuseppe Scapinelli, "Costela" coffee table, Wood and Glass. c. 1960
By Giuseppe Scapinelli
Located in PARIS, FR
Giuseppe Scapinelli (1911-1982) Coffee Table with Planter, c. 1960 This exquisite coffee table, designed by the Italian-Brazilian master Giuseppe Scapinelli, exemplifies his signatu...
Glass, Hardwood
Jean Gillon Pair of Probel Side Tables
By Jean Gillon
Located in Washington, DC
Beautiful pair of side tables by Brazilian master Jean Gillon, designed for Probel.
Wood
$9,063 / item
H 43.31 in W 43.31 in D 13.78 in
Square Coffee Table Made of Solid Oak Wood by Nono Furniture
By Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Coffee table made of solid oak wood. All the pieces are coated with polyurethane with a semi-matt finish. — NONO is a Mexican design brand with more than 10 years of experience dedic...
Oak, Hardwood
$9,063 / item
H 43.31 in W 31.5 in D 13.78 in
Rectangular Coffee Table Made of Solid Oak Wood by Nono Furniture
By Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Coffee table made of solid oak wood. All the pieces are coated with polyurethane with a semi-matt finish. — NONO is a Mexican design brand with more than 10 years of experience dedic...
Hardwood, Oak
$16,800
H 12.01 in Dm 31.89 in
Round Marble Coffee Table by Celina Decorações, Midcentury Brazilian, 1960s
By Celina Decoracoes
Located in New York, NY
This round marble coffee table was produced by the Brazilian company Celina Decorações in the 1960s. The piece is composed of a Rosewood structure wi...
Marble
Brazilian Modern Coffee Table by Jean Gillon, Brazil, 1960s
By Jean Gillon
Located in Antwerp, BE
Designed in the 1960s by Jean Gillon, this rare coffee table exemplifies the sculptural language that distinguishes Brazilian modern furniture of the period. The composition is defin...
Wood
Sold
H 15.5 in W 26 in D 20 in
Brazilian Modern Coffee Table in Hardwood & Marble, Jean Gillon, 1968, Brazil
By Jean Gillon
Located in New York, NY
Available today, this Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table, in solid Rosewood and Marble designed by Jean Gillon in the 60s is nothing less than spectacular! What makes this coffee table so special is the sleek design iconic from Jean Gillon. The “stake” shape of the legs is seen in many of Gillon’s pieces, specially in the Rodeio collection. Attached images from Jean Gillons book featuring the iconic "Rodeio" collection including stools, coffee table, armchairs and sofa. This coffee table is so awesome that it looks fantastic in any furniture set we match it with. Currently the coffee table is showcased with a “Concha” set (Sofa, Armchairs) from Joaquim Tenreiro and it looks stellar. This piece would look incredible in any modern, Mid-Century Modern or contemporary environment. This piece would also look wonderful in a boho chic, or Hollywood Regency style home. Jean Gillon was a Brazilian furniture designer born in Romania in 1919. He studied at the Architecture and fine arts Schools at the National University. He founded his first company Fábrica de Móveis Cidam in 1961 after emigrating to São Paulo, Brazil in 1956. Gillon's firm designed many luxury hotels throughout Brazil and homes and stores. He was known for his one of a kind tapestries. His second furniture company, WoodArt, produced full lines of Brazilian rosewood furniture...
Marble