{"product_id":"4-6-seater-mcm-extendable-dining-table-by-artecasa","title":"4-6 Seater MCM Extendable Dining Table by Artecasa","description":"\u003cp\u003eFully restored 4-6 Seater Mid Century Modern extendable dining table by Artecasa 🪑 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Johannesburg, SA - c.1950’s-80’s)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🪵 Solid Kiaat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e📏 H: 74cm W: 136cm (Extended: 196cm)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtecasa Furniture – Peter’s Personal Favourite\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSouth African History \u0026amp; Contemporary Relevance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtecasa \u003cem\u003e(Art for the Home) \u003c\/em\u003ewas established in Johannesburg in 1951 by two Italian immigrant brothers, Dino and Gianni Maraschin, who brought with them a strong European tradition of cabinetmaking and design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Maraschin brothers were trained within the Italian tradition of furniture making, which emphasized proportion, joinery precision, and material honesty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArriving in South Africa in the post-WWII period, the Maraschin brothers were part of a broader wave of European artisans and entrepreneurs who contributed significantly to the development of local manufacturing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Many other Italian craftsmen who found themselves at the tip of Africa at the time - were captured prisoners of war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy late-grandfather always spoke of the magnificently constructed mountain passes we have in the Cape that were engineered \u0026amp; built by the Italians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a special cemetery \u0026amp; Memorial garden en route to Cullinan from Pretoria that commemorates this community)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt a time when South Africa’s furniture market was transitioning from purely utilitarian production toward more design-conscious, modern pieces, Artecasa positioned itself at the intersection of Italian modernism and local craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Many Italian designers were heavily influenced by Structural Rationalism \u0026amp; Monumental forms driven by  the embodiment of Pre-War Fascism. There’s an excellent documentary on this topic titled \u003cstrong class=\"Yjhzub\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"zYmgkd#vvzi1e\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"nEMjVe_h\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);'\u003eBen Building: Mussolini, Monuments and Modernism\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (2016) by Jonathan Meades for BBC)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Johannesburg, the brothers established a factory that combined:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- European design sensibilities\u003cbr\u003e- Semi-industrial production methods\u003cbr\u003e- Skilled local labour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtecasa became known for producing high-quality domestic furniture—particularly dining suites, sideboards, and cabinetry—characterised by:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Clean, modernist lines\u003cbr\u003e- Functional, extendable forms (e.g., butterfly and leaf tables)\u003cbr\u003e- Careful timber selection, often using locally available hardwoods such as kiaat\u003cbr\u003e- A balance between durability and refined aesthetic appeal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir work aligned broadly with mid-century modern principles, but adapted to the South African context—both in material availability and consumer taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result, Artecasa pieces were widely distributed and became staples in middle-to upper-income homes from the 1950s through the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were known for hands-on involvement in production, maintaining quality control while scaling output. Their business model reflected a hybrid approach—more refined than mass-produced furniture, but more accessible than bespoke cabinetmaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, like many mid-century manufacturers, the company’s prominence declined with:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Increased imports of cheaper furniture after the lifting of sanctions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- The shift toward flat-packed and mass globalised production providing a wider consumer product offering\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- And the resultant changing of consumer preferences in the late 1980s–1990s. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(It is rumored that the supply of Kiaat also started drying up after the end of the bush war - I’ve heard that the army often supplied the local furniture manufacturing market with dirt cheap timber from the Northern Namibian \u0026amp; Angolan Forests) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePG \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"STATEMENT","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43161037930705,"sku":null,"price":15899.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0643\/2463\/2785\/files\/4EFA2577-F08D-4332-B7DC-F4732A6EC3BC.jpg?v=1782147088","url":"https:\/\/www.statementcollectables.co.za\/products\/4-6-seater-mcm-extendable-dining-table-by-artecasa","provider":"STATEMENT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}