Tafel met twee uitschuifbare bladen van coromandelhout met rechthoekig bovenblad met uitgeschulpte zijkanten en bekleed met zwart leer met donkerrood afgebiesd middenveld omringd door gestileerde bladvoluten c. 1920

Curator: Oh, it's a subtle thing, isn’t it? Almost like a whispered secret. Editor: Subdued elegance. It feels... reserved, but the textures are doing something, some kind of rich layering. Curator: Exactly! This is a table with two extendable leaves made around 1920, from the hand of Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. The Rijksmuseum holds it now, of course. It is made from coromandel wood and black leather, so lovely. I find it to be perfectly evocative of Art Deco's restrained luxury. It doesn’t shout, it simply *is*. Editor: Coromandel! Sourcing those woods then—that was global commerce at work, extracting material value from across empires. And then there’s the labor. Leatherwork and inlaid wood require particular skill sets. Do we know anything about the workshops where this was produced? Was Cachet overseeing it, or hands-on? Curator: I imagine somewhere between overseeing and gently guiding, not fully involved. Editor: Yes. Still, the choice of materials strikes me. It suggests this table wasn't just furniture; it was a status object, signaling taste and access to specialized crafts, even while claiming restraint. Curator: I've always felt a current of Far Eastern influence, subtly informing the very DNA of Art Deco and the Dutch version especially. Something deeply beautiful—more than just surface aesthetic. What I mean to say is... Do you not think this resonates with a deeper philosophical core about art and material existence, particularly regarding this piece, the 'Tafel met twee uitschuifbare bladen'? Editor: Resonates, yes. And I bet you anything the intended buyer understood these unspoken allusions very well. It is interesting how a rather functional object can carry that load of signification about global resource chains, skilled and sometimes anonymous workforces, and class ambition and cultural aspiration. Curator: I like the thought that something functional also has such inner dialogue—both quiet and booming within. I think it will haunt my understanding in a new way. Editor: Here is my two-minute warning! Thanks for helping me unlock a richer perspective.