X Coffee Table 1933 Mica

Jean-Michel Frank was one of the first decorators to incorporate mica into furniture design. Like rock crystal, obsidian, or straw marquetry, he chose this material for its irregularities, its reflections, and its natural beauty. Its deliberately pared-back form gives full presence to the mica, whose fine, layered strata lend the surface a singular depth. Its use as a veneer relies on a particularly delicate artisanal craftsmanship that has since become rare.