Large Italian Oval Racetrack Shaped Dining Table in Cream Leather and Glass by Matteo Grassi, 1990s

A beautifully designed and constructed Matteo Grassi cream leather and glass dining, or conference, table with a steel core base that has been upholstered in cream leather and that features a thick glass, floating table top. The table can, depending on the width of the chairs used, seat up to 12 people.

Matteo Grassi had a long history of producing high quality and finely crafted saddlery going as far back as 1880, and this shines through in the quality of the construction and stitching on all of their products. Like many of their designs the point of identification is that the metal framework is an analogy for the human skeleton with the leather acting as the ‘skin’ that shrouds the frame.

The Matteo Grassi family company first came to the notice of interior designers and retailers when the Korium series of chairs were first introduced in 1978. This was the first design they produced under their own name after they moved into mainstream furniture production. This change was based on their increasing involvement in furniture prototyping in the previous 10 years that saw them create and develop bespoke designs for many leading architects and designers. They have ever since been known for producing quality pieces of furniture including the MG5 cantilever chair.

This table is the Gazelle model and was produced from the late 1990s through to around 2010 and features their trademark stitching and thick leather; it really is a rare and beautiful table and one that is almost impossible to find on the resale market. It’s constructed of a heavy metal frame with adjustable pads that support a thick glass, racetrack oval shaped top that simply floats above the frame. Whilst it is a very well made and solid piece, it can still be moved by two strong people. This particular table dates from the late 90s and is in excellent condition with only very light marks to the frame and glass – there are no chips in the glass edge. The table has the Matteo Grassi imprint on leather plaques on the underneath of the main frame.

As you can see by reference to the photographs, the table can accommodate 12 chairs, but also works well with 10, 8, or 6 chairs too – this is naturally dependent on the width of the chairs used. On this basis you can adapt the seating to your needs and maybe only have all 12 chairs out for larger gatherings and special occasions. Whilst both the chairs and table were designed for the domestic environment the set would work equally as well in an office setting as a funky meeting room or conference table set.

By reference to the photographs you can see that this table is a great match to two large sets of chairs I also have listed; these are a set of 12 cream leather Knoll Studio, Mies van der Rohe MR10 chairs or a set of 10 cognac leather Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm cognac leather FK6728 armchairs – as such the entire ensemble, with either set of chairs, can be purchased via my other listings on this site.

Dimensions
Table : H74 x W320 x D100cm
Glass Thickness: 14mm