Natural Stone Coffee Table by Heinz Lilienthal, Germany, 1970s

Details

Description

Heinz lilienthal worked in germany across furniture and other applied media, and documented labelled examples show that some of his … Read more Heinz lilienthal worked in germany across furniture and other applied media, and documented labelled examples show that some of his tables were issued with stickers on the underside. This low coffee table retains such a label, reading werkstätten heinz lilienthal, and combines a dark circular stone top with a compact wooden base made from intersecting curved panels.

design
the table is organised around a large circular top in dark stone, its diameter extending well beyond the footprint of the base. Seen from above, that disc reads as a nearly continuous field of charcoal and brown tones interrupted by pale incised lines and irregular patches within the material. Those markings do not sit as applied ornament on an otherwise plain surface; they remain embedded in the top itself, so the pattern changes in visibility as light moves across the stone. The broad round format gives the table a clear, centred outline, and the dark edge band strengthens that outline when the piece is viewed from lower angles.

beneath the top, the support is reduced to a compact group of intersecting vertical wooden panels. Their warm brown tone and straight grain set up an immediate contrast with the heavier, darker surface above. Each panel curves inward along its lower edge, so the base does not read as a closed block resting flat on the floor. Instead, the cut-away arcs open space beneath the table and lighten the centre, which is particularly noticeable in side view where shadow passes through the lower section. Small round feet lift the base slightly, adding a narrow line of separation from the floor.

the meeting of the wooden panels is left visible as a narrow vertical slot, rather than being closed off into a solid central core. That opening makes the crossing of the elements legible and gives the base a more sectional appearance, with each plane still readable as an individual part. From one angle the base presents a broad panel with a gentle lower curve; from another, the intersecting member appears as a slimmer upright, changing the apparent density of the support as the table is approached. This shifting outline is important to the table’s character, since the top remains constant and circular above it.

the underside view adds useful evidence about the object’s making and attribution. A paper label fixed beneath the top reads 'werkstätten heinz lilienthal' and includes the printed wording 'edles material künstlerisches dekor', with a handwritten model number that appears to read a547. A second rectangular paper label remains beside it. These details place workshop identification directly on the object rather than relying only on comparison with other examples. In profile, the underside also shows the relative thickness of the stone top and the way the dark edge band forms a clean horizontal line above the wood, keeping the table visually low and broad even though the base is centred and comparatively compact.

taken together, the table is defined by the contrast between a broad, dark disc above and a smaller open base below. The label provides direct support for the lilienthal workshop attribution, and the photographed construction keeps the object readable from top, side and underside.

condition
vintage condition with visible age and use. The stone top shows surface wear, small marks and variation across the finish, the edge band has light rubbing in places; the wooden base has minor marks and light wear visible in the photographs. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less