With their curvaceous metal surfaces and shapes often resembling sheets of folded paper, Mathieu Matégot's inspiring furniture and lighting designs are easily recognizable and highly sought after by collectors. By working with perforated sheet metal and metal tubing, the Hungarian-born French architect, artist and designer — who is known by aficionados for his “rigitulle” technique — created tables, chairs and decorative objects that are celebrated works of French modernism and make a statement in any interior.
Matégot attended the Budapest School of Fine Arts and Architecture. He graduated in 1929 and traveled before settling in Paris in 1931, where he worked as a window dresser for department stores and as a set designer for cabaret halls.
In 1939, Matégot joined the French army in resistance to invading Nazi forces. He was soon captured and sent to work in a German factory. It was at this factory where Matégot became familiar with the materials and techniques that would inform and inspire his trademark rigitulle method.
After the war ended, Matégot opened a workshop in Paris and began to create handcrafted furniture that didn't conform to established styles of the time. Matégot explored merging traditional and non-traditional materials — he worked with formica, glass and natural materials such as rattan — and engaged in other forward-looking experiments. Matégot soon patented his career-defining rigitulle technique and material, which saw the designer working with metal tubing and perforated metal sheets and producing thin, airy folds into the metal as if he were manipulating fabric or paper.
Many of Matégot’s designs for table lamps, pendants, tables and more are reflective of the rigitulle technique, but the best-known work that exemplifies this process is his elegant three-legged Nagasaki chair, which he exhibited in 1954 at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs. The original Nagasaki chair gave way to a collection that included a stool and an armchair. Matégot’s Nagasaki dining chair has been reissued by Gubi and is part of the permanent collection at the Vitra Design Museum, which is home to one of the world’s most important furniture collections.
Matégot created a range of smaller items for the home — serveware, side tables and magazine racks, each distinctive in their fluid and organic forms — but halted his career in design and moved to Angers in the early 1960s in order to turn to creating art. Today he is known for his abstract tapestries as well as his furnishings.
Find vintage Mathieu Matégot furniture on 1stDibs.
'Copacabana' Indoor Outdoor Lounge Chair by Matégot in Leslie Fabric for GUBI
By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot
Located in Glendale, CA
'Copacabana' Indoor Outdoor Lounge Chair by Matégot in Leslie Fabric for GUBI Few designs express the talent of Mathieu Matégot so beautif...
Steel
$3,000 / item
Mathieu Matégot Metal Heart Chair
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare metal chairs by French designer Mathieu Matégot. White metal chairs with hairpin legs, signature Mategot perforated metal seat and heart sha...
Metal
2024 Pair of Mathieu Mategot for GUBI Tropique Dining Chairs without Fringes
By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Tropique Dining Chairs, originally designed by Mathieu Mategot for GUBI in 1951. These particular examples were produced in Denmark in 2024. Their frames are compri...
Steel
$16,970 / set
Mathieu Mategot pair of Cap d’Ail chairs 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, IDF
This iconic pair of Cap d’Ail chairs is an original creation by Mathieu Matégot, dating back to the 1950s. The armchairs are crafted from white lacquered metal. The meticulous handli...
Metal
Rare White Mathieu Matégot "Copacabana" Chair by Atelier Mategot France, 1954
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Den Haag, NL
Rare Mathieu Matégot "Copacabana" Chair by Atelier Mategot France, 1954
Metal
'Copacabana' Indoor Outdoor Lounge Chair by Matégot in Lorkey Fabric for GUBI
By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot
Located in Glendale, CA
'Copacabana' Indoor Outdoor Lounge Chair by Matégot in Lorkey Fabric for GUBI Few designs express the talent of Mathieu Matégot so beauti...
Steel
2024 Pair of Mathieu Mategot for GUBI Tropique Dining Chairs with Fringes
By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Tropique Dining Chairs, originally designed by Mathieu Mategot for GUBI in 1951. These particular examples were produced in Denmark in 2024. Their frames are compri...
Steel
$5,793
Fauteuil de jardin
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
Wrought iron chair, 6 available
Iron
Rare Mid-Century Modern Copacabana Chair by Mathieu Matégot, 1954
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
A rare collectible vintage lounge Copacabana chair by iconic French designer Mathieu Matégot composed of curved tubular steel legs and structure. This...
Steel
$225 / item
Mathieu Matégot Perforated Steel Chairs
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage French Midcentury Mathieu Matégot Perforated Steel Chair in a black painted original finish. In vintage condition with slight signs of wear and rust. The chairs are level and...
Metal
Nagasaki chair by Mathieu Mategot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in PARIS, FR
Painted metal tube and Rigitulle, Beautiful patina made from time and use.
Steel
$6,434 / set
Set of Four Mathieu Mategot "Tube" Chairs, 1951
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in London, GB
A rare set of four "Tube living room" dining chairs by French Hungarian designer Mathieu Mategot (1910 - 2001). Designed in 1951 and produced in France in the early 1950's, the chai...
Metal
Mathieu Mategot Lounge chair model "Copacabana"
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Barcelona, ES
Lounge chair model "Copacabana" Manufactured by Atelier Mategot France, 1950´s Lacquered and perforated metal and fabric upholstery Measurements 68,6 x 59,1 cm x 75,6h cm. 27 in x 2...
Metal
$3,452
Chaise de jardin
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
Wrought iron chair, 2 available
Iron
$8,426 / set
Rare pair of Mathieu Matégot chairs
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mathieu MATEGOT (1910-2001) Paire de chaises, circa 1951, à assise et dossier en tôle perforée laquée noir, disposés sur une structure tubulaire formant un piètement tubulaire joint ...
Metal
$2,804 / set
Pair of Mathieu Matégot Garden Chairs
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Henley-On-Thames, GB
This pair of iconic heart-shaped garden chairs designed by Mathieu Matégot are extremley rare. They are a classic hallmark of Matégot's work, featuring the turbular steel heart-shape...
Wrought Iron
$4,213 / set
Pair of Mathieu Matégot Chairs
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Très élégante paire de chaises par Mathieu Matégot. Le métal a quelques usures du temps, manques de peintures.
Metal
Customizable Gubi Copacabana Lounge Chair by Mathieu Matégot
By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York, NY
The Copacabana lounge chair was created in 1955 by Mathieu Matégot. The low Copacabana Lounge Chair has the impression of being designed with a...
Metal
$1,169 / item
Mathieu Matégot Wicker Lounge Chairs, France 1950
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in DE MEERN, NL
Mathieu Matégot Wicker Lounge Chairs, France 1950s. These iconic pieces are not just chairs; they are timeless works of art that effortlessly merge for...
Metal, Metallic Thread
French Midcentury Mathieu Matégot 'Tube' Perforated Steel Chair
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in London, GB
Sold separately. A set of four welded and perforated steel ‘Tube’ chairs by Mathieu Matégot (1910-2001), recently finished in a satin black. French,...
Steel
Gubi Nagasaki Soft Black Semi Matt Chair Un-Upholstered by Mathieu Matégot
By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York, NY
The Nagasaki dining chair is designed in 1954 and is still Mathieu Matégot’s best-known piece. It was exhibited for the first time at the 1954 Salon des Artistes Décorateurs and, alo...
Metal
Mid-Century 1954 Vintage Mathieu Matégot Santiago Armchair
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in London, GB
Mathieu Matégot was a Hungarian designer renowned for his innovative use of multiple industrial materials such as wood, leather and metal. For the Santiago chair designed in 1954, he...
Metal, Sheet Metal
$529Sale Price / item|34% Off
Mathieu Matégot "Wicker" Chair Iron Natural Fiber, France, 1950
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Madrid, ES
"Wicker" chairs designed by Mathieu Matégot, with lacquered iron structure in black with seat in natural fiber.
Iron
2024 Pair of Mathieu Mategot for GUBI Tropique Dining Chairs with Fringes
By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Tropique Dining Chairs, originally designed by Mathieu Mategot for GUBI in 1951. These particular examples were produced in Denmark in 2024. Their frames are compri...
Steel
$1,287Sale Price / set|64% Off
Vintage Set of Four Attributed to Mathieu Matégot Dining Chairs, France, 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot, Mathieu Matégot
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striking set of four vintage dining chairs attributed to Mathieu Matégot in his trademark perforated and lacquered sheet steel. Wonderful lightness to these, masterful use of steel e...
Steel
$526Sale Price|45% Off
Mathieu Matégot "Wicker" Chair Made with Iron and Natural Fiber, France, 1950
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Madrid, ES
"Wicker" chairs by Mathieu Matégot, painted yellow with lacquered iron structure in black and natural fiber seat.
Iron
$4,623
Chaise de jardin
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
Wrought iron chair, 4 available
Iron
Mathieu Matégot "Kyoto" Kids Chair, 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Mathieu Matégot chair for kids. "Kyoto" series. 1950s. Black lacquered tubular steel and peacock green upholstery.
Metal
$1,499 / item
H 31.1 in W 16.14 in D 20.86 in
Marcel Gascoin 'C-Chair' Dining Chair in American Walnut for GUBI
By Gubi, Marcel Gascoin
Located in Glendale, CA
Marcel Gascoin 'C-Chair' Dining Chair in American Walnut for GUBI Originally, designed in 1947, this authorized re-edition from GUBI features the same elegant shape and sturdy cons...
Cane, Oak
$12,943
H 31.5 in W 25.6 in D 22.84 in
Rare Mid-Century Modern Copacabana Chair by Mathieu Matégot, 1954
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
A rare collectible vintage lounge Copacabana chair by iconic French designer Mathieu Matégot composed of curved tubular steel legs and structure. This...
Steel
Petite French 1950s Green Painted Aluminium and Iron Chair
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Very lovely folding iron chair with a gorgeous green patina. The seat and backrest are made of perforated aluminium sheet.
Aluminum, Iron
Pierre Paulin Pacha Lounge Chair for Gubi
By Pierre Paulin, Gubi
Located in Skokie, IL
Pierre Paulin classic Pacha Lounge Chair for Gubi. This chair features a non swivel base. A mid-century modern dark, rounded lounge chair with a low pro...
Upholstery, Plastic
$88,100
H 31.11 in W 28.75 in D 28.75 in
Rare 'Costela' Lounge Chairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, Brazil, 1954
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Antwerp, BE
These extraordinary lounge chairs represent an original and very rare piece of Brazilian design history. Designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner in 1954 for the renowned company F...
Steel
Hayworth Indoor/Outdoor Lounge Chair, by August Abode
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A winged lounge chair with a low-profile design from our Hayworth Collection. Benchmade in Los Angeles, its soft curves pair with a sturdy foundation of outdoor wood in this indoor-outdoor piece created to embrace the spirit of endless summer. Designed with functionality in mind, the upholstered back cushion and removable seat cushion are both made of outdoor dry-fast foam. The base and legs are made of solid Iroko with a frame that includes slats for drainage when used in an outdoor or poolside environment. All our outdoor upholstered pieces come standard with an ivory outdoor textile (not pictured here). They are also available as C.O.M. (Customer’s Own Materials). Dimensions: 29”H x 33.5"W × 30"D Seat Height: 17"H (front tapers down towards seat back) C.O.M. Yardage: 7 yards solid fabric Finish: Shown here in our Carbon Canyon outdoor finish. It is also available in our Rincon outdoor finish. All of our pieces are bench-made in Los Angeles by local artisans. Current lead time: 16-22 weeks + transit time. Inquire about customizations, alternate materials & finishes, coordinating outdoor cover, as well as expedite options. About this piece: + Fabric available as Ivory Outdoor Textile or COM (customer's own materials) + Fade & mildew resistant fabric is recommended for outdoor usage or in high-humidity environments. + Please inquire about yardage requirements for patterned fabrics. + COM Lead Time begins when fabric arrives, SFA approved (for custom finishes) and DFA approved (for custom sizing and designs). + Covered or protected storage is advised. Avoid exposure to extreme temperatures which may damage frame. Wood will naturally grey, fade or patina over time; exposure to the elements will expedite this inherent trait. + Available as shown in our Carbon Canyon finish, it is also available in Rincon. + Optional cover can be purchased upon request. + Coordinating ottoman sold separately and not included in the listing price. About August Abode...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Textile
$1,550
H 38 in W 19 in D 18 in
Bespoke Artist Made Iron Modernist / Decorative Chair..after Mathieu Matégot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Buffalo, NY
Bespoke Artist Made Iron Modernist / Decorative Chair./ SCULPTURE,, .after Mathieu Matégot.. Great design,, Most unusua design.., Great little decorative item,, Truely a piece of art...
Brass, Iron
$8,426 / set
H 74 in W 62 in D 52 in
Vintage Lounge Chairs by Atelier Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet for VIBO France
By Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet
Located in Buggenhout, Oost-Vlaanderen
Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet for Vibo, Pair of Armchairs, France, 1950s Stained Beech Frame with Handwoven Abaca Hemp Seating A refined pair of armchairs designed by the celebrated F...
Wood
Garden Chairs in Wrought Iron. Indoor & Outdoor
Located in Miami, FL
Garden chairs in wrought iron. PRICE PER ITEM Indoor & Outdoor
Wrought Iron
Garden Chairs in Brown Wrought Iron. Indoor & Outdoor
Located in Miami, FL
Garden chairs in brown wrought iron. Indoor & Outdoor
Wrought Iron
$1,350 / item
H 32.29 in W 18.9 in D 22.05 in
Minimalist Modern Outdoor Chair, Metal Structure with Nautical Rope Pattern
By SIMONINI
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
This outdoor chair is part of the Flap 2.0 Outdoor collection design, which is based on the flaps part of aircrafts, this element is possible to be seen in the arms curvature and the...
Metal
Daumiller Dining Armchair in Golden Pine for GUBI
By Gubi, Rainer Daumiller
Located in Glendale, CA
Daumiller Dining Armchair in Golden Pine for GUBI Solid in construction, simple in form, and sculptural in expression, the Daumiller dining armchair reflects designer Rainer Daumill...
Pine
French Rattan Cone Armchair in the Style of Mathieu Matégot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Santa Gertrudis, Baleares
perfect armchairs for gardens and terrasses. Metal and rattan give a modern twist to these french 60's armchairs.
Metal
Mathieu Matégot pair of Anthéor armchairs 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, IDF
This iconic pair of armchairs is an original creation by Mathieu Matégot, dating back to the 1950s. The armchairs are crafted from white lacquered metal. The meticulous handling of t...
Metal
Mathieu Mategot Daybed, France 1950's
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York, NY
Elegant Daybed in folded steel tubing and mesh sheet-metal on tapered legs and brass feet.
Steel, Cut Steel
Sold
H 32.68 in W 25.99 in D 24.02 in
set of four white steel armchairs "Cap d'Ail" by Mathieu Matégot, ca 1950
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Rome, IT
rare set of four garden armchairs designed by Mathieu Matègot and named "Cap d'Ail" circa 1950 painted steel originale condition: many signs of rust the set comes directly from an ...
Steel
Sold
H 28.35 in Dm 37.01 in
Rare 1950s French Perforated Metal Garden Table Attributed to Mathieu Matégot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
A rare circular garden table attributed to iconic French mid-century designer Mathieu Matégot, circa 1950s. A true collector’s piece, it showcases Matégot’s celebrated mastery of per...
Steel
Mathieu Mategot "Tube" Armchair, 1951
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in London, GB
A rare "Tube living room" armchair by French Hungarian designer Mathieu Mategot (1910 - 2001). Designed in 1951 and produced in France in the early 1950's, the chair is made from qu...
Metal
Mathieu Mategot "Tube" Chairs, 1951
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in London, GB
A rare set of six "Tube living room" dining chairs by French Hungarian designer Mathieu Mategot (1910 - 2001). Designed in 1951 and produced in France in the early 1950's, the chair...
Metal
French Metal Heart Chairs by Mathieu Matégot, 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Paris, FR
A set of four iconic chairs designed by the renowned Mathieu Matégot. These chairs are characterized by heart-shaped tubular steel frames, the famous perforated seat, and elegantly c...
Steel
Sold
H 31.49 in W 46.85 in D 20.86 in
Mid-Century Mathieu Mategot "Casablanca" Bench, circa 1950, France
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Girona, Spain
Mathieu Matégot bench. Made with perforated iron. Lacquered in black. Circa 1950, France. Very good vintage condition. Mathieu Matégot (1910 - 2001) was ...
Iron
Sold
H 31.1 in W 17.32 in D 22.83 in
Pair of Mid-Century Mathieu Mategot "Casablanca" Side Chairs, circa 1950, France
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Girona, Spain
Pair of Mid-Century Mathieu Matégot side chairs. Made with perforated iron. Lacquered in black. Circa 1950, France. Mathieu Matégot (1910 - 2001) was a versatile, independent and sel...
Iron
Mathieu Mategot 'Anthéor' Armchair in Green Lacquered Iron
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mathieu Matégot, armchair model 'Anthéor', lacquered wrought iron, France, 1951 This rare armchair is designed by the French artist Mathieu Matégot. The designer (1910-2001) was bor...
Wrought Iron
Vintage chair by Mathieu Matégot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Chair, "tube" model, in white metal designed by French designer Mathieu Matégot in the 1950s. With its iconic pattern, the chair does not lack character and elegance. Its graphic...
Metal