By now, you know that the Amara table was inspired by African art and the Glacia table was inspired by African landscape. But the Cleo is a whole different animal! Inspired by ancient Egyptian designs, which often honored the sacred cat and other animals, the Cleo takes on a more modern and playful tone, somewhat reminiscent of the forms that John Dickinson created for his iconic plaster furniture from the 1970’s. The Cleo is made of ¾’ acrylic and measures 12” wide, 24” deep and stands 24” tall. It’s available in all three of our acrylic color options: clear; smoke; and white.
We knew we wanted this table to be a departure from any design we’ve done before, but we also wanted stay true to the conceptual intent behind the collection. We were inspired by ancient Egyptian furniture design, which often incorporated animal feet on the legs of their chairs and tables. The below photos show furniture from ancient Egyptian Culture displayed in the King Tut Exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The legs and feet are reminiscent of lion paws.
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- Displayed in the King Tut Exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota
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- Displayed in the King Tut Exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota
We started by sketching a 2D profile of an animal in motion pulling inspiration from this ancient concept, while adding our own playful take on the design. We experimented with different proportions of the table by creating small scale paper models.
We settled on a rectangular top, as it most accurately related to the body proportion of a cat or lion, while also making for a practical table size. The Cleo has a mighty roar, yet a quiet grace that’s guaranteed to add playful allure to any room.
Image Credit: Egyptian furniture via 3design History
