Le consolles di Carlo Enrico Rava #4

4 1

Between the projects presented at the exhibition Lo Stile nell’Arredamento Moderno, organised in Milan by Fede Cheti in 1948, one in particular aroused great amazement and enthusiastic consents.
It was a small wall table, commonly called console, designed by Carlo Enrico Rava (Cernobbio 1903 – Milan 1986), in which the structure unfolded and flexed without interruptions in a balanced variation of curves and counter-curves, and where the wood was treated with luthier finesse.
The object became so soon the symbol of the exhibition, celebrating the rebirth of the executive quality together the inventive explosion.



4 2

Manufactured in Cantù by Marelli e Colico, using the precious Indian rosewood, at the end of the exhibition it was regularly showed in the sales display of the homonym company located above the laboratory, and together with other products it formed complete settings to show to the clients, coming mainly from Milan.



4 3

Preserved and handed down like a museum piece, it is now part of the Eredi Marelli private collection, natural continuation of the original workshop, and it is greatly showed at the entrance of the renewed corporate headquarter, completed in 2017.
Reissued for the occasion in only two examples, one of these is now available on request in our contemporary department, and it shows the deep sens of the craftsmanship handed down through the years.

Sizes: 80x28,5xh.83,5 cm



4 4

That so delicated object was compared to a “dancer on toes” and, for Carlo Enrico Rava, it was the first of a series of experimentations on the structural lightness applied to the consolles, forming a lot of amazing variants in a few time.
In fact in 1949 the twin model borned: it was like a doubling of the original console, with a large top and completed at the base by a long structural stiffening beam, arched like the others to create a renaissance memory design.



4 5

That so delicated object was compared to a “dancer on toes” and, for Carlo Enrico Rava, it was the first of a series of experimentations on the structural lightness applied to the consolles, forming a lot of amazing variants in a few time.
In fact in 1949 the twin model borned: it was like a doubling of the original console, with a large top and completed at the base by a long structural stiffening beam, arched like the others to create a renaissance memory design.

Sizes: 135,5x29xh.91,5 cm



4 6

Curiously, this last model knew two different executors, both from Cantù: to the already affirmed Marelli e Colico, the least known Tagliabue Stefano e Figli came alongside, testifying as the manual skill of the territory was a widespread prerogative.



4 7

Carlo Enrico Rava was a singular figure: at a first time he was a convinced supporter of the Italian rationalist vanguard but so soon he folded in areas still related to tradition, finding clients culturally prepared in understanding the refined elegance of his projects.
Many of his works are collected in the book Arredamenti di Rava, published in 1949. It is considered an unfindable object and it still represents the only complete testimony on the work of this incredible acrhitect.

Discover this amazing history of italian creativity in our contemporary and historical department and in our bookshop.