Sir Terence Conran (British, 1931–2020) & Sean Sutcliffe (British, b. 1956) The ‘magot’ Table with Rare Prototype Side Table

Sir Terence Conran (British, 1931–2020) Two Contemporaneous Studio Tables The Magot Coffee Table and an Associated Prototype / Special-Commission Low Table Designed and made at Benchmark, c.1995 Solid Ash These two sculptural tables were designed and constructed at Benchmark in 1995, the celebrated workshop established by Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe in 1984. Although not conceived as a matching pair, the tables were created at the same moment, in the same workshop, and in the same timber, and together offer a rare insight into Conran’s studio practice during one of the most inventive stages of his career. The Magot Table The Magot is among the rarest known Conran designs. Only three examples have been identified to date: the table sold by Bonhams in 2022 from Barton Court, another held privately in the United States, and the present example. The Magot’s bold geometric massing and sculptural clarity are characteristic of Conran’s Benchmark-period furniture, when he explored more architectonic forms than in his commercial lines. The use of solid ash, a timber seldom selected for furniture of the mid-1990s, further distinguishes this model and underscores its limited, workshop-led production. The Associated Prototype / Special-Commission Table Made alongside the Magot at Benchmark in 1995, the smaller table is almost certainly a prototype or special commission. While not a variation of the Magot, it shares the same expressive material language and the same sculptural confidence. Its interlocking block-form base, compact proportions and notably refined detailing align it with the most exploratory work produced in the Benchmark studio. The decision to execute it in solid ash — again, an unusual material choice at this date — strongly indicates that it was made as a one-off or near one-off studio piece, either for a private interior or as part of Conran’s experimental design development. Context and Significance These two tables, conceived and made at the same time and in the same workshop, reflect two complementary facets of Conran’s mature design language: the Magot, a documented but extremely scarce sculptural design; and the prototype / special-commission table, representing the non-catalogued, experimental side of Conran’s studio output. Studio-made Benchmark pieces from this period in ash are exceedingly uncommon. The survival of two related works from the same design moment makes this offering especially significant for collectors of late 20th-century British design. Provenance Benchmark Studio; private collection, United Kingdom. This is a rare opportunity to acquire two contemporaneous Benchmark-made Conran tables, each revealing a different but closely connected aspect of his design practice in the mid-1990s. In French, the word “magot” has several meanings, both literal and colloquial, and understanding them helps explain Conran’s choice of title: In everyday French, “un magot” refers to a hoard of money, savings, or hidden treasure — something valuable that’s been set aside or stored away. This sense of the word fits beautifully with the design of Conran’s Magot Table, which incorporates angled recesses that can “hold” or “store” books or objects. The table literally contains things — a witty nod to the French term for a hoard. In older French usage, especially in the decorative arts, “magot” can also mean a porcelain figurine, particularly of exotic or chinoiserie-style. This meaning implies something precious, crafted, and sculptural — which also resonates with the table’s sculptural, architectural form. Given Terence Conran’s fascination with wordplay, design as function, and object-as-form, it’s likely that the name “Magot” was chosen for its double connotation: A piece that stores or contains a “stash” or “treasure”, While also being an object of sculptural or artistic interest . So, in context, the “Magot” Table can be interpreted as: “A sculptural piece of furniture that conceals or contains something valuable whilst itself being an artistic treasure.”