Nesting coffee tables 780

Designed in 1966 by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, model 780 represents a particularly accomplished exploration of modularity. Four circular tables of identical diameter but decreasing heights can be used separately or nested together to form a compact cylindrical volume reminiscent of a drum. The transition from a closed form to a constellation of independent surfaces transforms an occasional table into a mobile spatial system. Cassina now regards this design as an emblem of 1960s design.

The structures are made of stained and varnished beechwood. The circular frames are bent, profiled and then joined to three broad legs, whose gentle curvature follows the shape of the top. Their positioning and the carefully calibrated progression of heights allow the four elements to nest together with precision. The removable, reversible tops consist of panels faced with black melamine on one side and white melamine on the other, enabling a variety of chromatic compositions. The set thus combines traditional woodworking techniques—cutting, bending, joining, staining and varnishing—with the use of an industrial surface material.

The early label preserved on one of the legs gives this example exceptional documentary value. Its red-and-black monogram, historic company name and address bearing Meda’s first postal code link the set to the years immediately following the model’s creation. The survival of the complete set, its original reversible tops and their patina further enhances the rarity of this very early Cassina edition.