Joseph Savina carved oak cupboard

An oak cupboard by French designer Joseph Savina. It features two doors with carved decorations of marine life on a blue lacquered background and brass escutcheons in the shape of a seahorse. The piece was made together with sculptor Michel Le Calvez. Signed with the year of creation (1960).

Joseph Savina (1901–1983) was a woodworker, cabinetmaker and sculptor. He was a long-time friend and collaborator of Le Corbusier. He opened his workshop 'Atelier d’Art Celtique' in Tréguier in 1929, where he produced furniture in small series. Savina was part of the neo-regionalist 'Seiz Breur' ('seven brothers') movement in Brittany, which was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. The movement started in 1923 and was named after a Breton folk-tale. It mainly focused on the visual arts, but it also included writers and composers. Inspiration was drawn from Celto-Breton mythology and decorative motifs like the Celtic knot.