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Bespoke Coffee Table, Two Rare Slabs of Antique Hardwood by P. Tendercool

$28,280List Priceper item

About the Item

A Japanese client was so overwhelmed by the quality of our antique wooden slabs we collected overe the last 10 years (see below) that he commissioned this table. He was over the moon with the result... Model: PT81 2ATOP BS1 Top: Two joint single slabs of antique reclaimed hardwood Top finish: Bleached and oiled with natural oil Base: PT81 sand cast brass Base finish golden sand Dimensions: 196 x 153 x 22 cm (W x D x H) 77.2 x 60.2 x 8.7 inch P. Tendercool ATOPs – tables made with Antique TOPs Bespoke, handmade tables created with collected slabs of antique hardwood; sand-cast bronze, brass or aluminium bases Available to your order Antique slabs of exotic hardwood P. Tendercool, run by Belgians Pieter Compernol and Stephanie Grusenmeyer, is based in Bangkok, Thailand. Stephanie comes from a family of Antique dealers and for over a decade has been collecting truly unique slabs of antique hardwood. In many Asian countries families placed a huge low platform on which they'd traditionally sit to enjoy lunch, tea, dinner or sleep on. In northern China these were often made in stone or bricks under which a fire was kept burning. Elsewhere in China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand, these were actual pieces of furniture: huge low tables, opium beds, with delicate carvings, sculpted or inlaid legs, and fine joinery. Some became true family heirlooms. Other than the function, our slabs have nothing in common with these: we first found some in North Vietnam, where villagers in the olden days were surrounded by huge trees. Trees they cut to construct their homes. Trees so huge that villagers would slice some into slabs and simply placed these on the floor. Functional design. We estimate that about 95% of these wonderful slabs we collected over a period of 10 years are about one hundred years old. Inspection of the bottom parts show they were clearly cut by hand, pre-machine age... There are never any traces of legs, nor is there ever any carving, just slabs of amazing harwood. The fact that these wooden slabs still exist is proof of their stone-hard quality, we are not talking pine-wood here: many decades of humid-hot, termite-infested surroundings have had no noticeable effect other than them remaining solid witnesses of a bygone era. They typically have a one-person size: around two-meter long, by about 75-80 cm wide. We almost always find them in pairs: his and hers, Ying and Yang. Which wood? By far the larger number of slabs in our collection is Chicken-wing wood, coveted and cherished by many Chinese as Jichimu since the grain of this wood variety resembles the feathers of a bird. Next to Zitan & Huang-Huali wood, Jichimu has enjoyed a wide following and furniture made with this rare wood has been avidly collected since to the Ming-dynasty. We currently own two hundred slabs, available for selection in our workshop, just across our gallery in Bangkok. We do not know of anyone who has such a large collection of aged slabs as ours. Unfortunatly the secret is out: we now have to pay double to triple the price we paid only a couple of years ago. Collectables As former Antiques dealers we are convinced that our ATOP collection will be 'Antiques' to future generations: the wood is already extremely rare and about a hundred years old, the bases sand-cast by hand, and we will let you be the judge of the strength of the design ;) Reason why every table created will receive our burnt-in logo and its unique number stamped at the bottom. We are not discussing limited series here, every single table is unique. Perfect tables? Nope. All our ATOPs are imperfect and we would not have it any other way. Each slab has had a life before P. Tendercool, many generations lived with these slabs, leaving their marks. Slabs are never hyper straight and often are a little warped or show some minor cracks. If you like perfect furniture, do not buy ours. If you like character, personality and rarity, be our guest.

Creator:
Pieter Compernol & Stephanie Grusenmeyer (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 77.17 in (196 cm)Depth: 60.24 in (153 cm)
Style:
Minimalist (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Reclaimed Wood,Cast,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
Thailand
Period:
2010-
Date of Manufacture:
Contemporary
Production Type:
New & Custom(Current Production)
Estimated Production Time:
Available Now
Condition:
Seller Location:
Bangkok, TH
Reference Number:
Seller: PT81 2ATOP BS1 Chicken Wing / Table numberATOP_PT81.14.811stDibs: LU256137439843