Rare Early Edition Martin Visser 'Bumper' Center or Dining Table in Metal
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Martin Visser for 't Spectrum, center or dining table, model 'Bumper' / 'TE 11 7 M', marble, chrome-plated steel, rubber, the Netherlands, design 1965/66, produced 1965-1969
Martin Visser (1922–2009) earned his reputation as one of the leading Dutch furniture designers through his designs marked by understated tubular frames and clean lines. With this table, though, he explored a very different design language. Designed in 1965 for the Dutch furniture company ‘t Spectrum, the table has been called by several names, yet it is the name ‘Bumper’ that has endured. The striking visual impact of the table lies primarily in the treatment of the base, which dominates the design.
The Bumper table owes its name to the rounded bumper of the Volkswagen Beetle. Its base is built from three identical sections of chromed steel, bolted together to form a solid, three-dimensional column core with striking apertures. With its three supports, the table is planted firmly on the ground, while the central structure is entirely rigid. The design is symmetrical in every direction: at one end it presses into the floor, at the other it carries a circular marble top. In the first edition from the 1960s, the black feet were made of cast rubber, as in this particular example.
When ’t Spectrum sought to bring the design into production, the Bumper table proved just how complex that ambition could be. This model belongs to the very first series of ten tables, all painstakingly hand-hammered in the mid-1960s by Nebato, a specialist metalworking company. Machine production had turned out to be virtually impossible. Nebato, known for producing works for artists such as Sol LeWitt and Carel Visser (Martin Visser’s brother) was uniquely suited to the challenge. The legs had to be pressed symmetrically in two directions and at precisely the right angle. If not, the screw holes would not align, and the parts could not be assembled. The pressing process also carried the risk of cracks or surface irregularities. At the time, no press existed that could shape the steel panels at the required 120-degree angle so that, together, they would form a perfectly stable 360-degree base. The execution turned out to be very labor-intensive since it had to be carried out by hand. ’t Spectrum refused to compromise: the furniture had to be flawless. For that reason, the Bumper table was never put into full consumer production and was ultimately withdrawn from the first-established collection in 1969.
The design held a special place in Visser’s heart. According to a former colleague at ’t Spectrum who witnessed the process firsthand, Visser himself often remarked in conversation that he considered the Bumper table to be among his finest creations.
Martin Visser (1922–2009) earned his reputation as one of the leading Dutch furniture designers through his designs marked by understated tubular frames and clean lines. With this table, though, he explored a very different design language. Designed in 1965 for the Dutch furniture company ‘t Spectrum, the table has been called by several names, yet it is the name ‘Bumper’ that has endured. The striking visual impact of the table lies primarily in the treatment of the base, which dominates the design.
The Bumper table owes its name to the rounded bumper of the Volkswagen Beetle. Its base is built from three identical sections of chromed steel, bolted together to form a solid, three-dimensional column core with striking apertures. With its three supports, the table is planted firmly on the ground, while the central structure is entirely rigid. The design is symmetrical in every direction: at one end it presses into the floor, at the other it carries a circular marble top. In the first edition from the 1960s, the black feet were made of cast rubber, as in this particular example.
When ’t Spectrum sought to bring the design into production, the Bumper table proved just how complex that ambition could be. This model belongs to the very first series of ten tables, all painstakingly hand-hammered in the mid-1960s by Nebato, a specialist metalworking company. Machine production had turned out to be virtually impossible. Nebato, known for producing works for artists such as Sol LeWitt and Carel Visser (Martin Visser’s brother) was uniquely suited to the challenge. The legs had to be pressed symmetrically in two directions and at precisely the right angle. If not, the screw holes would not align, and the parts could not be assembled. The pressing process also carried the risk of cracks or surface irregularities. At the time, no press existed that could shape the steel panels at the required 120-degree angle so that, together, they would form a perfectly stable 360-degree base. The execution turned out to be very labor-intensive since it had to be carried out by hand. ’t Spectrum refused to compromise: the furniture had to be flawless. For that reason, the Bumper table was never put into full consumer production and was ultimately withdrawn from the first-established collection in 1969.
The design held a special place in Visser’s heart. According to a former colleague at ’t Spectrum who witnessed the process firsthand, Visser himself often remarked in conversation that he considered the Bumper table to be among his finest creations.
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Rare Early Edition Martin Visser 'Bumper' Center or Dining Table in Metal
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