20th C. Venetian Strie Italian Side Table with Bronze Trim

A round side table finished in strié, a hand-dragged, streaked paint technique often seen on Italian furniture of the period. This one takes it in a pale blue-gray over white, the brushwork shifting direction from rail to leg. A ring of bronze trims the tabletop edge and wraps each tapered leg, with a matching bronze stretcher joining the legs low to the ground. Italy, 20th century.

Strié, French for "streaked," describes a decorative paint effect produced by dragging a comb or dry brush through wet color to lift fine, parallel lines. It was widely used across Italian furniture through the mid-to-late 20th century as a faster, more graphic alternative to hand-grained woodgraining, often applied over simple wood forms to give them movement and color without the cost of an inlaid or carved surface.

Style: Venetian, Italian
Materials & Techniques: Painted wood with strié finish, bronze trim
Place of Origin: Italy
Period: 1970s