John Vesey Bronze-Mounted Stainless-Steel Bureau Plat , c. 1960, inset leather top, three frieze drawers, fluted tapered legs surmounted by swags, h. 30 in., w. 62 1/2 in., d. 33 in. Note: John Vesey (1924 – 1992) designed some of the most highly sought-after furniture of the mid-20th century. The New York antiques dealer-turned-designer produced sleek steel and polished aluminum furniture based on classic forms with a modern twist, including pieces inspired by the Campeche chair, Grecian curule stool, Italian Savonarola chair, and Gilles Joubert's 18th century bureau plat made for Louis XV. His pieces could take up to six months to produce and were considered a status item by the top interior designers of the period. Vesey furniture was collected by luminaries including Nelson Rockefeller, the Duchess of Windsor, Bobby Kennedy, French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, and Howard Hughes, who owned a desk nearly identical to the present lot. In 1958, journalist Rita Reif reported in The New York Times that “steel is putty in John Vesey’s hands.” Ref.: Drayton, Cynthia. “John Vesey: Style and Scandal.” Modern Magazine. October 21, 2011: modernmag.com/john-vesey-style-and-scandal/.