Bar Cabinet in Walnut and Glass, attr. Osvaldo Borsani, 1940s

This bar cabinet is conceived as a dialogue between two volumes: a broad upper cabinet with softened corners, resting upon a rectilinear console base. The flat slab legs ground the composition with architectural clarity, while the upper body — its front articulated by three horizontal panels of rose-tinted mirrored glass divided by slender walnut mouldings — introduces a quieter, more precious register. The piece carries a certain ceremonial bearing without becoming imposing.

The structure is in walnut, finished to a rich, dark tone that allows the natural figuring of the wood to read clearly. A sculpted wooden handle on the left side opens the hinged door to reveal two interior compartments: one lined with a fine mosaic of rose-tinted mirror tiles and fitted with a clear glass shelf, the other finished in deep green lacquer with brass rod supports and glass shelves for bottles and glassware. The same mirrored mosaic reappears on the top surface of the base, unifying the two bodies with considerable finesse. The console incorporates four symmetrically arranged drawers with circular brass knobs of plain, disc-like form, flanking a central open recess.

The cabinet is attributable to Osvaldo Borsani and dates to the 1940s, a period in which the Milanese designer was working within the family workshop at Varedo, before founding Tecno in 1953. The formal vocabulary — the interplay of rose-tinted glass, green lacquer and polished brass within a walnut structure, the coexistence of sculptural handles and rationalist geometry — is closely consistent with Borsani's documented production of this period. Bar cabinets of this kind held a particular significance in the Italian bourgeois interior, functioning as both practical objects and markers of social refinement. This piece reflects that sensibility with a rarefied, understated elegance typical of Borsani's approach.

The cabinet is in very good condition, having been professionally restored and refinished by our internal atelier. The walnut surfaces present evenly, with minor signs of age consistent with the period. All hardware is original; drawers and door function correctly with original lock and key.

Dimensions:
H 134.5 cm × W 100 cm × D 35 cm (H 53 × W 39.4 × D 13.8 in)