Italian Cherry Wood + Lacquered Goatskin Bar Cabinet with Inlays by Paolo Buffa & Giovanni Gariboldi, 1940s

An Italian bar cabinet by Paolo Buffa from the 1940s, constructed in cherry wood with a lacquered goatskin façade.

The demi-lune form feels both architectural and intimate. Its curved silhouette softens the cabinet’s presence, allowing it to sit seamlessly against a wall while still commanding attention through proportion and detail.

The surface is defined by delicate inlays by Giovanni Gariboldi—grape clusters, curling vines, and butterflies rendered in warm-toned wood against the pale lacquered ground. The motif introduces a sense of movement across the façade, drawing from classical Italian decorative traditions while remaining distinctly modern in composition.

Slender tapered legs and gilt details elevate the cabinet visually, giving the piece a sense of lightness despite its substantial construction. Inside, the cabinet reveals a fully finished interior with mirrored sides and glass shelving, designed to catch and multiply light in the manner of mid-century Italian entertaining spaces.

Created at a moment when Italian design balanced artisanal decoration with emerging modern forms, the cabinet reflects Paolo Buffa’s ability to merge refinement with functionality. It is as much a decorative object as it is furniture—intended not simply for storage, but for atmosphere.

Giovanni Gariboldi (1908–1971) was an Italian artist born in Milan who worked across sculpture and painting. Educated at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, he became known for compositions shaped by clean geometry and bold, architectural lines. Working primarily in bronze and stone, Gariboldi often interpreted the human figure through an abstract, Cubist-influenced lens.

Emerging as an important voice in postwar Italian art, his work is represented in notable international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.