Vintage Italian Service Cart in Walnut and Glass Tops by Cesare Lacca, 1950

Peculiar and iconic serving or tea trolley; the softly proportioned lines of the frame are made of walnut treated with a light protective varnish to give it a discreet and elegant polish, characteristic of cesare lacca trolleys; two rectangular panes of glass, one upper and the other lower, function as countertops and add a touch of refinement and luxury to the overall design; for intelligent practicality and safety, the two panes of glass are inserted into grooves cut into the wooden frame; with this design, the trolley provides ample space for storing and displaying bottles, glasses, and other bar accessories. Two brass bars with a wooden carry-over in the center are placed at the upper ends of the cart and act as grips to move the cart. The legs are fitted with classic wheels that turn 360 degrees. We can say with certainty that the trolley is one of the many but unmistakable creations of designer cesare lacca; it was made between 1950 and 1955 at one of the many artisan carpentry workshops in brianza (lombardy, italy), a historic location known for its designer furniture, made with great craftsmanship and where cesare lacca had most of his trolleys made ( he used top-notch craftsmen in the area of cantù, lombardy, for the furniture). Born in naples in 1929, italian architect-scenographer-designer cesare lacca created modernist furniture and metalwork in the 1950s. Like many 20th-century italian designers, lacca moved to milan after world war ii to launch his career. The details of his personal life and professional training are very meager, but his works have left their mark both in italy and abroad. Cesare lacca is particularly known for his modern-style furniture of the 1950s, which combined clean and essential geometric shapes, his pieces often featured curved details and lacquered or painted finishes that gave his creations a distinctive look. Cesare lacca’s most iconic works are undoubtedly his wooden bar carts; they are considered functional and decorative pieces that are highly sought after by collectors and fans of mid-century modern design. Over the course of his career, lacca designed a large number of tea and serving trolleys (which correspond to most of his pieces available on today’s market), coffee tables, and magazine racks, and although there are many different versions of the trolleys, they all have the same organic features and soft lines. He participated in national and international exhibitions and among them at the milan triennials in 1951 and 1954 and in 1950/1953 at “italy at work,” a very important traveling exhibition promoting italian design in the u.s. The curator of the exhibition m.r. Roger says of him:” the variety and quality of his creations place him among the most influential architects and designers of the current modernist movement, the quality of his work shines through decorative effect, without yielding to exaggeration or effort.” on the wooden structure, we did not consider doing any restoration because its surface veiled patina and small imperfections make it truly seductive and fascinating and attest to its antiquity and authenticity. Moreover, restoration would have distorted the original varnish of the carriage, which is one of the fundamental characteristics of cesare lacca’s works. Measures width cm.82, depth cm.44, height cm.68. this piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity

issues arising from misattribution