Argentina, Circa 1940 Oak, black leather 31cm high x 37cm long x 21cm deep Literature The Stylemakers: Minimalism and Classic Modernism 1915-1945 by Mo Amelia Teitelbaum (2010), “Los Creadores de un Estilo, Minimalismo y Modernismo Clásico 1915 - 1945”. P - 242. Provenance:The collection of Mo Amelia Teitelbaum Mo is a collector, researcher and author who specialises in the period that Jean-Michel Frank spent in the South Americas. She has dedicated much of her life to researching this once forgotten and underappreciated time in Frank's period of creativity. It was in Argentina that his friendship with the Chillian patron, collector and muse Eugenia Errazuriz deepened and he met Ignacio Pirovano, the man he would go on to found COMTE with. Mo has penned two fascinating books on this period of Frank's life; The Stylemakers, Minimalism and Classic Modernism 1915-1945 and Jean-Michel Frank, Une Aventure Sud-Américaine. Both much lauded by Jean-Michel Frank collectors and enthusiasts of this period of Design and Modernism. Chiswick Auctions would like to thank the Mo for allowing us to present the current work to auction. Notes: Founded in Buenos Aires in 1932 by Ignacio and Ricardo Pirovano with José Enrique Tívoli and Mariano Mansilla Moreno, COMTE emerged as one of Argentina’s most distinguished mid-twentieth-century design firms. The company specialized in refined furniture, interior decoration, and architectural fittings, producing bespoke furnishings for prominent private residences, luxury hotels, and institutional commissions throughout Argentina. In 1936 COMTE secured an exclusive agreement to produce designs by the French decorator Jean-Michel Frank for the Argentine market, introducing his understated modernism to South America. Under the artistic direction of Ignacio Pirovano, the firm developed a distinctive aesthetic defined by elegant proportions, fine materials, and exceptional craftsmanship. Among its notable commissions were interiors for the celebrated Hotel Llao Llao and various public and diplomatic buildings. Today, COMTE'S production is regarded as an important expression of modern design in Argentina, reflecting a sophisticated synthesis of European influence and local craftsmanship.