Maria Pergay three-tier coffee table from the 1960s

Three-tiered coffee table by Maria Pergay, 1960s
Three tiers, two of which swivel 180 degrees.
Chrome-plated steel bands and base, resin tiers.
Designed by Maria Pergay for Mercier Frères, circa 1968.
Two small dents on the topmost tier (detailed photo)

Dimensions:
Height 35 cm
Diameter of each tier 59.5 cm

Maria Pergay fled her native Moldova for Paris in 1937. In 1947, she enrolled at IDHEC (Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques) while also attending Zadkine's studio.

In the mid-1950s, after her marriage to Marc Pergay, a friend offered her the opportunity to create decorative objects for the window displays of the shoe retailer Durer. She placed large wrought iron birds in the windows. This commission was a huge public and professional success: it was the beginning of her career. New orders poured in, now Dior, Hugonet and Hermès asked her to invest their windows with wrought iron pieces encrusted with semi-precious stones and shells. Building on her successes, she opened a store in 1950 on Place des Vosges, in the heart of the Marais, to sell her creations alongside rich antiques and subtle pieces of Asian art. She began a unique collection of silver objects. It was then that she met Dali with whom she worked by creating The Myth of the Butterfly and the Fire, she demonstrated her talent which, instead of fighting the past, provokes an alliance between the ancient and the modern. She questions ancient myths while remaining formally anchored in her present. Wanting to remain at the forefront of innovation, she began using stainless steel in the mid-1960s. This brand-new material became her source of inspiration, describing it as "as precious as the most precious wood." Her first steel collection included ring chairs and wave benches. She exhibited it in 1968 at the Maison Jardin gallery, whose director was none other than interior designer Jean Dive.

Stainless steel remained her preferred material, which she continued to work with throughout the 1970s, a period during which she found a patron in Pierre Cardin. From then on, she exported her creations to the USA, Morocco, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. She designed the palace of the Saudi royal family, as well as numerous villas.

Maria Pergay creates furniture, objects, and interiors that skillfully blend refinement, luxury, and dreamlike qualities. Stainless steel allowed her to soften the shapes of furniture she found rigid, giving them the undulation of sensual curves.

Ref: XV0XIN2ICO