Unique Side Table with Sphinge, the Sphinge circa 1935-1939, table circa 1950

In the early 1930s, Alberto Giacometti was introduced to the renowned fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, likely through their mutual friend, the interior designer Jean-Michel Frank. During the financial crisis of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Giacometti began creating jewelry pieces, which he sold to his friends and acquaintances, including Frank, to secure a steady income. Around 1935, Schiaparelli, aware of Giacometti's intricate small works, commissioned him to design models for buttons and brooches to potentially incorporate into her inventive fashion creations. Although Giacometti's designs for Schiaparelli were rarely fully realized, some pieces, such as the Sphinge, were cast in very limited quantities. These rare items, depicting mythological, feminine, or animal characters, were either given away or sold by Giacometti within his close circle, making them highly coveted collectibles. Since Paul Dupré-Lafon and Alberto Giacometti never directly collaborated, it is unclear how their designs reunited in furniture. However, a few other pieces by the designer such as a cerused oak and red-lacquered sideboard, and small fawn leather-bound cabinet bear the antique symbol, a rare yet elegant ornament within Dupré-Lafon's aesthetic.