A very unusual pair of tree trunk tables, or Tronc d'Arbre, purchased from a private residence in Chandigarh, India.

These tables are clearly related in form to the well-known tree trunk tables associated with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in Chandigarh. However, when I first saw them, my initial thought was that they were not correct. Having seen examples of originals over the years, there were details in their construction that I had not seen before.

The iron bases are made from a lighter gauge of metal than the examples we have previously seen, and the welding is noticeably cruder. The two bases also differ slightly from one another in their construction. The examples I have seen were always finished finely, as they were alwasy important and used in a select few interiors.

What interested me was where they had come from. They were purchased from a private residence in Chandigarh, from someone who had lived in the city for many years. The tables themselves also clearly have considerable age. The iron bases have developed extensive oxidation and surface wear, while the timber tops have the colour, marks and patina that come from decades of use.

The tops are made from substantial sections of mango wood, retaining their irregular natural edges and variations in shape. Each rests directly on its simple iron base, creating the very direct combination of roughly cut timber and utilitarian metalwork associated with the better-known Chandigarh examples.

I cannot say with certainty who designed or made these tables, and I would not attribute them directly to Le Corbusier or Pierre Jeanneret without further evidence. It is possible that they were produced locally in Chandigarh during the same period, perhaps influenced by the furniture being made for the city, but this remains speculation.

What I can say is that they are old, they came from Chandigarh, and they have a wonderful presence. The differences between the two bases, the crude welding, irregular mango tops and extensive wear are, for me, part of their appeal rather than something to disguise.

When I bought them, I was very unsure about them. The longer I have had them and the more closely I have looked at them, the more I have come to appreciate them for what they are rather than what they might be. I now feel very reluctant to sell them.

The tables have been carefully cleaned while preserving the extensive patina to both the timber and iron. No attempt has been made to over-restore them or remove the evidence of their long use.

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