duffy london's 'civilization' tables pay homage to ancient architecture

paying homage to the artistry and unparalleled beauty of ancient temples and monuments, duffy london has released a new range of uniquely hand-carved marble coffee and dining tables. named ‘petra’, ‘kailasa’, and ‘hegra’, the three tables that form the limited-edition ‘civilization’ collection are modeled on the al-kazneh temple at petra in jordan, the qasr-al-farid tomb in mada’in saleh, saudi arabia, and the kailasa temple in ellora caves, maharashtra, india. these incredible man-made monuments were carved directly from the rock of their surrounding landscapes with the most intricate skills by master craftspeople.

‘kailasa’ in white

‘our aim with the civilisation tables is to use the medium of sculpture — one of the oldest art forms, working with traditional materials, tools and techniques — to reinterpret and reimagine these incredible structures,’ says chris duffy, founder of duffy london, ‘and to create modern furniture designs which pay homage to their outstanding beauty as well as the artistry and incredible skills of the craftsmen that first made them.

‘hegra’ in orange

the sheer levels of skill and technical prowess required to manufacture each ‘civilization’ table — using traditional sculpting techniques — make each piece completely unique, so that no two tables can ever be the same. each object is formed from a singular block of hand-picked marble stone that’s carved over many months by master craftspeople, using traditional techniques to chip away at the rock with pitching chisels and hammer until the form reveals itself. smaller, considered strokes using a range of specialist tools and more delicate rasps and riffler files offer finer points of detail, while sandpaper and emery cloths are used to smooth and polish the stone, accentuating the marble’s natural sheen. finally, each table is fitted with an elliptical, 160mm polished-glass top, blending both ancient and modern materials into a modern design.

detail of ‘kailasa’ in green

each table in the limited-edition range is made bespoke to order in a variety of colored marble, including white and black, pure white, rose-veined green and red and orange. the collection is available to purchase in two formats — a dining table and a coffee table. discover more about the ‘civilization’ tables on duffy london’s site, here, and see a video of the making of ‘kailasa’ at the top of the page.

making of ‘kailasa’ — see video at the top of the page