Zanotta - Achille Castiglioni - Table - Leonardo - Beech, Glass - Adjustable table

Up for auction, an authentic piece of Italian industrial design history: the Leonardo table, designed by master Achille Castiglioni and produced by the prestigious Zanotta company.
Originally designed in 1940 and put into production in 1969, this table represents the quintessence of the “Ready-made” and of functionalist design.
It's not simply a piece of furniture; it's a manifesto of interior architecture.

The “Leonardo” is born from the brilliant intuition of Achille Castiglioni to dignify a humble and common-use object: the classic carpentry sawhorse. Castiglioni took the archetype of the workbench – a synonym of “doing” and “building” – and transformed it into an object of domestic elegance without sacrificing its practical nature.

The name "Leonardo" is a homage to Leonardo da Vinci, the greatest engineer and artist in history, evoking the image of the drafting table and the artist's studio. It is a table that lives with a double soul: perfect as a scenographic dining table or as a professional desk/drafting table.

The Designer: Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002)
One of the founding fathers of Italian design, winner of no fewer than 9 Compassi d'Oro. Castiglioni's philosophy was based on observing reality: "Design is not decoration, but problem-solving." With the Leonardo table, Castiglioni demonstrates that form follows function: every screw, every hole, every interlock is visible and necessary. No decorative frill, only pure structure.

Manufacturer: Zanotta
Founded in 1954 by Aurelio Zanotta, the company is famous for having the courage to produce “out of the box” objects (such as the Sacco chair or the Mezzadro stool). The Leonardo table is one of the brand’s historic best-sellers, present in the permanent collections of the world’s most important design museums (including the Triennale Design Museum in Milan).

Technical data sheet and construction details
• Model: Leonardo.
• Year of production: 1980s/1990s model
• Structure Material: Evaporated beech wood, natural color. The steam treatment gives the wood stability, resistance, and that typical warm and rosy tone that shifts toward blond.
• Functionality (Key Feature): The table is height adjustable. Thanks to an ingenious system of through wooden pins (visible in the photos), the height of the tabletop can be modified (generally from about 63 cm to 89 cm), allowing use with regular chairs or tall architect's stools.

• High-quality details: The trestles feature the typical tenon-and-mortise joints, solid and made to last forever.
• Brand: The “Zanotta - Made in Italy” mark is stamped on the amber-colored rubber suction-cup cover disc (visible in the macro photo), guaranteeing absolute authenticity.

Structure (Cavalletti): EXCELLENT

The wooden part is in splendid vintage condition. The stands are solid, stable, and the adjustment mechanism is perfectly smooth. The beech wood has developed a beautiful natural patina. There are minor signs of aging that do not detract from its beauty, but attest to its authenticity.

Crystal Piano: Vintage with a Defect

The table is complete with its original tempered glass top.
Important note: There is a clearly visible chip on one of the side corners of the glass, clearly documented in the photographs. The rest of the glass surface is in excellent condition with normal superficial scratches from use.
The value of this lot lies mainly in the original Zanotta structure. The glass can be used as is (placing the defect toward the wall or facing downward) or easily replaced at a modest cost at any glassworks, allowing the tabletop dimensions to be customized to suit one's needs.

The Leonardo table never goes out of fashion. It's a safe investment: its value in the vintage market is steadily increasing. Buying this piece means bringing home the atmosphere of a Milan-based architectural studio from the 1970s. Perfect for a loft, a professional studio, or as a "statement" dining table in a modern living room.


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