Rare Ado Chale Round Coffee Table with Mosaic Top in Malachite

Ado Chale coffee table, malachite, resin, black lacquered steel, Belgium, 1980

This monumental table by Ado Chale is a powerful testament to the artist’s ability to transform rare and precious materials into sculptural works that blur the boundaries between design, jewelry, and fine art. Executed in extraordinary malachite and deep black resin, the piece embodies Chale’s enduring fascination with natural materials. The circular top is a breathtaking composition of vibrant malachite fragments, meticulously assembled to create a richly textured surface. Known for its intense green hue and distinctive banding, malachite possesses remarkable visual depth, its luminous emerald tones layered with darker, almost black undertones that seem to draw the eye inward. The stone’s organic patterning ensures that no two sections are ever alike, making each example profoundly unique.

It is particularly rare to encounter a design in which malachite is used as a complete and uninterrupted surface. In this example the malachite extends fully across the tabletop without a border, allowing the precious stone to exist in its purest and most monumental expression. This uninterrupted expanse enhances both its visual impact and its rarity. The architectural black base provides a deliberate and striking counterpoint to the expressive top. Composed of solid, rectilinear legs connected by substantial horizontal supports, it anchors the composition with strength and clarity.

Monumental yet refined, this table radiates presence, rarity and exceptional craftsmanship. It stands as an utterly beautiful and highly precious piece, exemplifying the level of artistry and material refinement for which Ado Chale is renowned.

The table is signed “Chale” in gold, along the black resin edge of the top.

Biography
Ado Chale, the Belgium-based artist born as Adolphe Pelsener in Brussels in 1928, embarked on a journey that blended his expertise in mineralogy and blacksmithing with his innate creativity. In 1960, alongside his wife Huguette Schaal (1929-2011), a gemologist, he established a boutique in Brussels named "Chale". Here, he showcased extensive collections of precious minerals while delving into the art of crafting decorative jewelry and tabletops using semi-precious stones and rare materials. Rather than merely designing, Chale approached furniture-making with the precision of a craftsman, infusing each piece with an aura of exclusivity. Together, Ado Chale and his wife traveled the world in pursuit of the search of rare materials, like turquoise, malachite, amethyst, and agate, but also petrified wood and ivory, to name just a few, spanning continents such as Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. Throughout his 50-year career, Chale crafted a myriad of bespoke interior objects, establishing himself among the forefront of interior decorators who emerged during the 1960s. Designers such as Gabriella Crespi (1922-2017) and Maria Pergay (1930-2023) contributed to the creation of exclusive interior objects that blurred the lines between fine and applied art, infusing 20th-century interiors with a heightened sense of glamour and spectacle. Central to Chale's oeuvre are his meticulously crafted tables adorned with gemstones,
employing a self-developed technique akin to mosaic and terrazzo. In this case, the materials undergo meticulous reworking before being cast in epoxy resin, after which the entire piece is polished and finalized. At a later stage, he also includes solid cast metal like aluminum and bronze. His creations, radiant and refined, epitomize exclusivity, as he delicately employs rare and delicate materials to craft singular masterpieces. Chale's body of work has garnered widespread acclaim, with his pieces gracing prestigious museums, to private and public spaces alike. Chale's creations have captivated discerning clientele, including members of global aristocracies and esteemed fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton. By consistently pursuing innovation and employing precious materials adeptly, Ado Chale’s work has left an indelible mark on the world of craftsmanship, transcending mere furniture art or design to create timeless treasures that represent a painstaking and irreplicable work of craftsmanship.