Designer Michele De Lucchi (born 1951)
Manufacturer Memphis Milano, Italy
Era 1980s
Design Year 1986
Material Lacquered metal, laminated wood
Size Ø 55 cm × H 72 cm
Condition Good original condition
Bibliography Memphis Milano – Catalogue, model Cairo, Michele De Lucchi, 1986, p. 40; Memphis Milano 1981–1988, exhibition catalog, Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe, 1990, fig. 16
Selected items – We change the way you think about forever.
Michele De Lucchi designed the Cairo side table for Memphis Milano in 1986. De Lucchi was one of the defining members of the group founded in 1981 and developed a distinctive design language for Memphis that combined basic geometric forms, decorative surfaces, and deliberately chosen color contrasts. His tables, in particular, demonstrate how consistently Memphis transformed familiar furniture types into graphic and spatial objects.
Cairo is a particularly clear example of this approach. The round laminated tabletop is supported by a sculptural metal frame whose curved lines deliberately contrast with the strict geometry of the top. The decorative surface makes the table not only functional but also an independent object within a space, reflecting the Memphis approach of challenging the boundaries between functional objects and experimental design.
The design emerged during a later phase of Memphis, when its initially provocative visual language had already become an internationally established design movement. Nevertheless, Cairo remains unmistakably part of this movement: playful, deliberately constructed, and consciously removed from the idea of neutral furniture.
Cairo also has a documented institutional presence. The design is represented in the Museum of Furniture Studies in Sweden and was featured in the 1990 exhibition Memphis Milano 1981–1988 at the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe. The table thus belongs to those Memphis designs whose significance is documented not only in the collectors' market but also through museum collections and exhibition history.
This is precisely where its appeal lies today. Cairo functions as a side table but is equally appreciated as a sculptural design object. For collectors, it represents De Lucchi's contribution to Memphis; in an interior, it creates a distinct graphic accent without dominating the space through its size or volume.
Condition Report
The side table is in overall solid condition, consistent with its age and use.
The tabletop shows signs of wear in the form of fine scratches and abrasion. The frame displays clearly visible signs of use, including scratches, abrasion, and localized areas of paint loss.
The table is slightly wobbly, which we have compensated for with furniture pads.
Overall, the table remains in solid, functional condition. The existing signs of wear do not affect its usability or the expressive character of the design.
Request more information
Designer Michele De Lucchi (born 1951)
Manufacturer Memphis Milano, Italy
Era 1980s
Design Year 1986
Material Lacquered metal, laminated wood
Size Ø 55 cm × H 72 cm
Condition Good original condition
Bibliography Memphis Milano – Catalogue, model Cairo, Michele De Lucchi, 1986, p. 40; Memphis Milano 1981–1988, exhibition catalog, Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe, 1990, fig. 16
Selected items – We change the way you think about forever.
Michele De Lucchi designed the Cairo side table for Memphis Milano in 1986. De Lucchi was one of the defining members of the group founded in 1981 and developed a distinctive design language for Memphis that combined basic geometric forms, decorative surfaces, and deliberately chosen color contrasts. His tables, in particular, demonstrate how consistently Memphis transformed familiar furniture types into graphic and spatial objects.
Cairo is a particularly clear example of this approach. The round laminated tabletop is supported by a sculptural metal frame whose curved lines deliberately contrast with the strict geometry of the top. The decorative surface makes the table not only functional but also an independent object within a space, reflecting the Memphis approach of challenging the boundaries between functional objects and experimental design.
The design emerged during a later phase of Memphis, when its initially provocative visual language had already become an internationally established design movement. Nevertheless, Cairo remains unmistakably part of this movement: playful, deliberately constructed, and consciously removed from the idea of neutral furniture.
Cairo also has a documented institutional presence. The design is represented in the Museum of Furniture Studies in Sweden and was featured in the 1990 exhibition Memphis Milano 1981–1988 at the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe. The table thus belongs to those Memphis designs whose significance is documented not only in the collectors' market but also through museum collections and exhibition history.
This is precisely where its appeal lies today. Cairo functions as a side table but is equally appreciated as a sculptural design object. For collectors, it represents De Lucchi's contribution to Memphis; in an interior, it creates a distinct graphic accent without dominating the space through its size or volume.
Condition Report
The side table is in overall solid condition, consistent with its age and use.
The tabletop shows signs of wear in the form of fine scratches and abrasion. The frame displays clearly visible signs of use, including scratches, abrasion, and localized areas of paint loss.
The table is slightly wobbly, which we have compensated for with furniture pads.
Overall, the table remains in solid, functional condition. The existing signs of wear do not affect its usability or the expressive character of the design.
Request more information
Image 1 of 18
Image 2 of 18
Image 3 of 18
Image 4 of 18
Image 5 of 18
Image 6 of 18
Image 7 of 18
Image 8 of 18
Image 9 of 18
Image 10 of 18
Image 11 of 18
Image 12 of 18
Image 13 of 18
Image 14 of 18
Image 15 of 18
Image 16 of 18
Image 17 of 18
Image 18 of 18