Dedal Wall Shelf by Mathieu Mategot, Perforated Steel, France, circa 1955
View Similar Items
Dedal Wall Shelf by Mathieu Mategot, Perforated Steel, France, circa 1955
About the Item
- Creator:Mathieu Matégot (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 52 in (132.08 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 85 in (215.9 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1955
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Perpignan, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4614117923052
Mathieu Matégot
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.
- 1950. Daybed Jacques Hitier modernismBy Mathieu Matégot, Jacques HitierLocated in Perpignan, FRTres rare lit de repos Modèle dit "Miami" par conçu jacques Hitier dans les années 1950. En l'état . aucune restauration effectuée . Idéale pour daybed. Ere Jean prouvé, Charlott...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsMetal
- Rare wall desk & shelveBy Charles ZublenaLocated in Perpignan, FRBureau & étagère monobloc murale 1970 anonyme / fibre de verre 80 x 255 x 55 cm / en l’état d’origine Provenance . Hôtel Solazur de TangerCategory
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Desks
MaterialsResin, Epoxy Resin, Fiberglass
$3,848 - Set 4 Chairs, French ModernismBy Charlotte PerriandLocated in Perpignan, FRSet 4 chairs assigned to Charlotte Perriand France, circa 1960. Very good and original condition.Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsOak
$4,397 / set - 1963, Large French Painting on PlasterBy Jean BalladurLocated in Perpignan, FRAnonymous painting on plaster, 1963. Signature visible. French Mid-Century Modern from building in La Grande Motte oak frame.Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsPlaster
- 1963, Large French Painting on PlasterBy Jean BalladurLocated in Perpignan, FRAnonymous painting on plaster, 1963. Signature visible. French Mid-Century Modern from building in La Grande Motte oak frame.Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsPlaster, Oak
- 1972, Prefab Nova House by Studio RochelBy Societé anonyme francaiseLocated in Perpignan, FRDesigned in 1972 by architects Michel Hudrisier and M. Roma for Studio Rochel, the Nova House came to fulfill the fantasy of those dreaming of living in spa...Category
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Architectural Elements
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Red Metal Shelf attributed to Mathieu Mategot, France, c. 1940By Mathieu MatégotLocated in New York City, NYPainted, patinated red metal shelf with unique hole pattern, attributed to Mathieu MategotCategory
Vintage 1940s French Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for Gubi in OakBy Mathieu Matégot, GubiLocated in Glendale, CAMathieu 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 Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Spice rack in rigid steel, circa 1950, DLG Mathieu MatégotBy Mathieu MatégotLocated in LYON, FRThis spice rack duo is irresistible. Fully thermo-lacquered by us in glossy lemon yellow, these spice racks can also be used as wall storage for small accessories in a bedroom or off...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
- Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in Black AshBy Mathieu Matégot, GubiLocated in Glendale, CAMathieu 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 Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' Shelf for GUBI in American WalnutBy Mathieu Matégot, GubiLocated in Glendale, CAMathieu 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 biblioth...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Mathieu Matégot 'Démon' 4-Shelf System for GUBI in OakBy Mathieu Matégot, GubiLocated in Glendale, CAMathieu 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 Bookcases
MaterialsMetal