Narrow drafting and work table by Pierre Jeanneret from the Chandigarh furniture program, circa 1950s–1960s. An elongated teak top stands above angular supports, with a projecting lower platform at one side adding a distinctive secondary plane to the construction.
Jeanneret’s furnishings were integral to the architectural and institutional life of Chandigarh, the new city developed in post-independence India. Tables and desks translated the requirements of study, administration and communal activity into a concise vocabulary of timber construction. Working with local craftsmen, Jeanneret treated the surface and its supporting members as a complete composition. These objects share the directness of his seating designs, while their different proportions reflect the particular demands of writing, reading, dining and the organization of everyday work.
The long, relatively shallow top emphasizes the table’s working format. Broad inclined members form compass-like end supports beneath it. The lower platform extends outward from the principal frame and includes a raised edge, creating an asymmetric profile that can be appreciated most clearly from the side.
Painted lettering beginning “D.O.A” survives on the timber, followed by additional inventory divisions. These initials are retained as part of the table’s institutional identification. Their pale paint contrasts with the darker, worn teak and provides a specific material detail beyond the recognizable geometry of the frame. The top and supporting members display surface marks, color changes and softened edges accumulated through use.
The vintage teak retains variations in grain, color and surface wear, with softened edges and individual traces of use visible in the photographs. These details give the woodwork its material character and preserve the sense of a furnishing made for daily life in institutional or residential interiors.
Dimensions: approximately 72 inches wide, 19.75 inches deep, 31 inches high.
Provenance: private collection, Chandigarh, India, as recorded by Studio Balestra.
Accompanied by a Studio Balestra Certificate of Authenticity.
