Robert Goossens, for the Coco Channel

ROBERT GOOSSENS (France, 1927 - 2016) for Coco Channel.
Coffee table "Wheat table".
In gilded brass.
Measurements: 50,5 x 80 x 80 cm.

This is an iconic design by Robert Goossens for Coco Chanel. The "Wheat Table" evokes the refined yet poetic aesthetic that characterized the collaboration between Chanel and Goossens.

The base is made up of a bundle of wheat ears (in gilded brass), meticulously modeled, which are tied in the center by means of a braided knot, faithfully recreating the appearance of a sheaf. From this point of attachment, the rods open in an elegant upward and downward movement: the lower ones expand towards the floor to form the support, while the upper ones support the envelope.

The top is made of circular, transparent glass, allowing the golden sculpture that forms the base to be fully contemplated. This choice enhances the sculptural character of the piece of furniture, transforming it more into a piece of decorative art than a simple utilitarian object.

The wheat motif, dear to Chanel's heart, is a symbol of prosperity, abundance and fertility. In the hands of Goossens, it translates into a design with a strong allegorical and ornamental character, where the natural becomes refined luxury. The gold reinforces this connotation of wealth, while the glass introduces lightness and modernity.
Function: This is a coffee table, designed for sophisticated lounges, where the artistic value and style surpass the mere practical function.

Known as "Monsieur Bijou", Robert Goossens was a French jeweler, goldsmith and furniture designer whose work was on the border between decorative arts and haute couture. His name is closely linked to Coco Chanel, although he also worked with great maisons such as Dior, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy. He was born in Paris in 1927, the son of a metal smelter. From a very young age, he was trained in goldsmith workshops, specializing in the technique of casting, chiseling and gilding metals. This artisan training endowed him with an exceptional mastery of brass, bronze and silver, materials that would become the basis of his aesthetic language. In the 1950s, Goossens began to work in the world of haute couture. It was at that time that he met Coco Chanel, who was looking for a creator capable of transforming her ideas into unique objects. Chanel was fascinated by his ability to reinterpret motifs from antiquity (Byzantine, medieval, baroque) in a modern key, and by his bold use of non-precious materials but treated with fine jewelry techniques. With Chanel he developed iconic pieces of costume jewelry, where semiprecious stones, quartz and rock crystals were combined with gilded metal to create monumental jewels that broke with the classicism of traditional jewelry. Among his most famous creations are Byzantine crosses, long necklaces and pieces inspired by archaeological finds.