French Harpers Magazine Rack by Mathieu Matégot, 1950s

About This Piece

Vintage Design

This model Harpers magazine rack was designed by Mathieu Matégot and produced by Ateliers Matégot in France in the 1950s. It is made of folded and perforated metal.

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Creator	Mathieu Matégot
Manufacturer	Atelier Matégot
Design Period	1950 to 1959
Country of Manufacture	France
Style	Mid-Century
Detailed Condition	Good — This vintage item remains fully functional, but it shows sign of age through scuffs, dings, faded finishes, minimal upholstery defects, or visible repairs.
Product Code	WM-295179
Materials	Metal
Color	Black
Width	35 cm 13.8 inch
Depth	24 cm 9.4 inch
Height	40 cm 15.7 inch
Weight Range	Standard — Between 40kg and 80kg
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Spain
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.
Returns	Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Delivery Details

Delivery will be completed by a parcel service such as UPS, DHL, or FedEx.
You will receive a tracking number to monitor the status of your shipment.
Delivery will take place between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine the packaging upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damaged packaging, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note, take pictures, and—if the item inside shows damages—contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations regarding damaged packaging represents your acceptance of the completed order in perfect condition.

About the Creator

Mathieu Matégot

Hungarian-French designer and tapestry maker Mathieu Matégot was born in 1910 in the suburbs of Budapest. After graduating from Budapest’s School of Fine Arts in 1929, he travelled abroad—as many young people do. After spending time in the US and Italy, Matégot settled in Paris in 1931 and took work as a set designer and window dresser for arty Parisian hotspots, like the Folies Bergère and the Galerie Lafayette department store.

In the years leading up to World War II, Matégot began designing furniture, especially exploring rattan woven around metal frames. Along with many foreign artists at the time, he joined the French resistance. Captured by the Germans, he was requisitioned to work in a German factory. He was released in 1944 and was awarded French citizenship.

After the war, Matégot established Parisian workshop, dedicated to experimental, handcrafted furniture and objects. His designs explored a variety of materials, like metal, glass, Formica, woods, textiles, and leather. His most successful designs incorporated metal tubing and perforated sheet metal, with a technique he patented and named Rigitulle in 1952. He developed a machine that could bend and fold sheet metal like a piece of fabric, which was used to create a number of distinctive designs, such as the Java Table Lamp, Soumba Tables, Bagdad Lamp, Satellite Pendants, and Nagasaki Chairs. After few years, Matégot opened a second workshop, called Société Matégot, in Casablanca, where he was able to broaden his production to include small decorative objects , like trays , wastebaskets, and magazine-holders , side tables .

In 1959, Mathieu Matégot stopped designing furniture. He moved to Angers and dedicated himself exclusively to the creation of abstract tapestries until he passed away in 2001.