Méret Oppenheim for Simon Gavina, 'Traccia' coffee table, in bronze, silver leaf and wood, Italy, circa 1972.
When animals and furniture meet... This side table by surrealist artist Méret Oppenheim is part of the 1972 serial production of the original design she made in 1939. Both the golden color and shape of this table are very distinctive. The table is can be seen as the abstract representation of a bird. The bird is represented without its actual body, but with the definitive elements such as marks, the egg and legs. Everybody knows it is a bird, even though it is not literally there. The table's name: Traccia means 'trace'. Another reference to the fact that something can represent a certain object, even though what we see are only traces. The frame is made of solid cast bronze. The tabletop holds the shape of a golden egg. On the top are two imprints of bird feet.
