Kyoto Small Table

Overview

The Kyoto Small Table is a square table by Gianfranco Frattini, designed in 1974 and revisited by Poltrona Frau with respect for the original project. It is understated and refined: its construction is the object itself, with no decorative elements.

Construction

• Wood: top and legs in extra light solid beech, with solid Canaletto walnut inserts at the ends of the boards in the natural version
• Joints: the wooden boards are connected with 45° joints that form a square pattern
• Legs: slide-off counterpoise legs that can be positioned as desired
• Black version: black lacquered beech with red lacquered inserts; the tops of the legs are painted matt red
• Finish: all surfaces carry a protective transparent varnish
• Details: the Poltrona Frau logo and the designer's signature are laser engraved on one face of the leg supports

Specifications

• Overall size: 102 x 102 x 32 cm (square, 5659613)

A joint from Kyoto

In the early 1970s Gianfranco Frattini travelled to Japan to study local craftsmen and visited craft workshops in Kyoto with the expert carpenter Pierluigi Ghianda, who became his friend and collaborator. Inspired by the techniques and aesthetics of the area, he conceived a joint that became the basis of the table of the same name, and production began in 1974.

Construction as the object

The table has no decorative elements, which brings out the beauty of the raw wood, and the Canaletto walnut inserts have a precise strengthening function. The black version follows the original that Frattini designed with the carpenter. Kyoto forms part of the permanent collection of the Design Museum at the Milan Triennale.