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Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

French, Hungarian, b. 1910

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.

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Creator: Mathieu Matégot
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash 215cm shelf length. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for Gubi in Oak
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for Gubi in Oak

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for Gubi in Oak

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Stained Ash

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Stained Black Ash. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in American Walnut. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for Gubi in Black Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for Gubi in Black Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for Gubi in Black Ash

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for Gubi in Black Ash The Démon shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la biblioth...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Rare Mathieu Matégot Metal Black and White Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956
Rare Mathieu Matégot Metal Black and White Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956

Rare Mathieu Matégot Metal Black and White Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956

By Mathieu Matégot

Located in Den Haag, NL

Rare Mathieu Matégot bookstand for Artimeta, 1956. White perforated trays, to use for magazines or books, also useable as a side table. In original vin...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in Black Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in Black Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in Black Ash

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in Black Ash. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak (95cm)
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak (95cm)

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak (95cm)

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 3-shelf system for GUBI in Oak. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for Gubi in Oak
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for Gubi in Oak

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for Gubi in Oak

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' shelf for Gubi in oak. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Oak. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in American Walnut
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in American Walnut

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in American Walnut

By Mathieu Matégot, Gubi

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in American Walnut. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèq...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf system for GUBI in black ash. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash
Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-Shelf System for GUBI in Black Ash

By Gubi, Mathieu Matégot

Located in Glendale, CA

Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 5-shelf system for GUBI in black ash. The Démon Shelf, or the Biblio-Démon in Matégot’s original 1954 sketches, was part of a “plan d’execution de la bibliothèque," or his ideal model of an interior home library and study...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

Materials

Metal

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Previously Available Items
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20th Century Bookcase by Mathieu Matégot for Artimeta

20th Century Bookcase by Mathieu Matégot for Artimeta

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H 24.81 in W 24.02 in D 11.82 in

20th Century Bookcase by Mathieu Matégot for Artimeta

By Mathieu Matégot

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

Mid-20th Century Dutch steel and rattan, Mathieu Matégot bookshelf. A similar version was illustrated in the Artimeta catalogue. Circa 1955.

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1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mathieu Matégot Bookcases

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A Mathieu Matégot Coat Rack ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 for Artimeta Soest, Netherlands
A Mathieu Matégot Coat Rack ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 for Artimeta Soest, Netherlands

A Mathieu Matégot Coat Rack ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 for Artimeta Soest, Netherlands

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Located in Hitchin, England

An ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 coat rack designed by Mathieu Matégot for Dutch company Artimeta Soest during the 1950s. The set retains all hooks and coat hangers and is the larger of the two...

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Mathieu Matégot Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956

Mathieu Matégot Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956

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H 24.81 in W 23.23 in D 11.03 in

Mathieu Matégot Bookstand for Artimeta, 1956

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Rare Mathieu Matégot bookstand for Artimeta, 1956. Yellow and black perforated trays. To use for magazines or books, also useable as a side table. This bookstand is shown in the A...

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Mathieu Matégot bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.

Mathieu Matégot bookcases 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 Mathieu Matégot bookcases, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 2 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 15 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original bookcases by Mathieu Matégot were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bookcases by and Gubi. Prices for Mathieu Matégot bookcases can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $599 and can go as high as $4,150, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,934.