About the Cover

Tea Table, 1907

Carlo Bugatti
(Italian, 1856–1940)
France, Paris
Medium: Inlaid wood (mahogany?), cast and gilded bronze mounts, inlays of ivory or bone, metal, and mother-of-pearl (marine mussels or pearl oysters)
Measurements:  71.5 x 67.1 x 41.3 cm (28 1/8 x 26 7/16 x 16 1/4 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1991.45

DESCRIPTION

Carlo Bugatti’s 1907 Tea Table is a window into the designer's expressive imagination with its elaborate arches and fantastical imagery, something that appears throughout his furniture designs. Son of architect and sculptor, Giovanni Luigi Bugatti, Carlo Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy, in 1856. He studied at the Brera Academy in Milan and then the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to Milan to begin creating furniture in 1880.

Bugatti was inspired by North African, Islamic, and Japanese designs, and he heavily influenced the Art Nouveau movement. His furniture is heavily decorated, featuring inlays of exotic wood, copper and parchment, as well as mother of pearl.

Bugatti is the father of sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, whose work now sells for millions, and automobile visionary Ettore Bugatti, who studied engineering and designed his own work of art in the manufacturing of the iconic Bugatti.

References

1 Tea Table. Carlo Bugatti, 1907. Cleveland Museum of Art. Accessed August 2025. www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.45

2 Carlo Bugatti. Bugatti.com. Web Archive. Accessed January 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20100704202833/http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/history/the-bugatti-family/carlo-bugatti.html

3 Sansom, I. Great dynasties of the world: The Bugattis. The Guardian. Published April 8, 2011. Accessed January 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/09/bugatti-cars-jewellery-jeremy-clarkson

4 Carlo Bugatti. Wikipedia. Updated August 8, 2024. Accessed January 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Bugatti