Diego Giacometti

Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York

Joanne Melniker Stern, New York (acquired from the above)

Doyle, New York, 9 May 2012, lot 116

DeLorenzo Gallery, New York

Acquired directly from the above in 2012 by the present owner

Michel Butor, Jean Vincent, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 1985, p. 143

Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 1986, p. 67

Designed circa 1963 for film producer and friend of Diego Giacometti, Raoul Lévy, the Berceau table, First version perfectly embodies the understated elegance and formal rigour characteristic of Diego's work during this period.

The arched shape of the table recalls the silhouette of a suspended cradle, with the glass top resting delicately on the sleek bronze structure, its oblique lines meeting in the centre like metal tension rods. This central intersection reinforces the visual impression of controlled tension in a perfect balance of forces.

The combination of the brown-green patinated bronze, revealing the sculptor's hand, and the rigour of the structure's sober and refined lines provides this table with a uniquely powerful presence. Its only decorative element, a small bowl in the centre of the base, aptly emphasises the sobriety of the overall design.

Produced in very limited numbers, this Berceau Première version table distills the aesthetic of Diego Giacometti's works, where poetry, material and sobriety are found in subtle balance. This exceptionally elegant model has featured in some of the greatest private collections, such as those of Hélène Rochas, Jacqueline Matisse and Marguerite and Aimé Maeght. 

© ADAGP, Paris, 2025