Philip & Kelvin LaVerne Rare and Important Chi Liang Coffee Table 1960s (Signed)

Exceptional and rare "Chi Liang" sculpture coffee table, multilevel in patinated and engraved bronze and pewter with hand-painted, vibrant enamels in blue, green, orange, and white by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, American 1960's (signed on top “Philip Kelvin LaVerne”). “Chi Liang” translates to “broad mindfulness”. This table was bent into its unique shape by hand. It was done in a small edition and is simply incredible in every way — it’s a LaVerne masterpiece.

Reference:
ALCHEMY: THE ART OF PHILIP AND KELVIN LAVERNE written by Evan Lobel with Kelvin LaVerne, published by Pointed Leaf Press in 2024, a CHI LIANG coffee table is shown on pages 62-63 in the section titled The Historical Civilization Series. The caption below reads, “The CHI LIANG coffee table was created in the 1960s in patinated bronze and pewter with engraving and hand-painted enamels, as described by Kelvin LaVerne: ‘The design is from a painting in China made many centuries ago. It depicts and symbolizes the Sky (representing heaven, mortality, spirituality, and the universe), the Earth (representing growth, nature, and material needs), and the River that runs through (representing fate, life, and destiny). The paintings with pastoral scenes symbolizing the religious and philosophical concepts inherent in the narrative, as well as the beauty in the artwork, is what we found so fascinating and gave us the inspiration and determination to represent these ancient Eastern civilizations and histories visually on a sculptural modern platform. The many philosophies and religions in China throughout the centuries, although similar, offered slightly different mythologies, depending on the ruling dynasty. So we created a table with a sculptural form that gives voice to all, in its dimension and shape the platforms that rise and fall in an undulating movement suggesting the uncertainties and vagaries of life. Although extremely contemporary, the form maintains the integrity of a Chinese presence.’” It is also discussed in the introduction.