Cesare Lacca Style Italian Mid-Century Folding Magazine Rack in Beech

A scissor-action folding magazine rack executed in warm honey-toned beech, pairing a face of seven turned dowel rails against an opposing solid panel pierced with a row of arched gothic-style cutouts. The asymmetric treatment — open spindles on one side, a graphic cathedral-window panel on the other — is a hallmark of Italian mid-century domestic accessories produced in the 1950s–60s, consistent with work attributed to Cesare Lacca and his contemporaries. The X-frame collapses flat on a single nickel-finished steel pivot for slim storage behind a sofa or door.

Beech was the preferred material for this category of Italian folding goods — tight-grained, light, and stable enough to hold tension across the pivot through decades of use. The medullary ray flecking visible on the cutout panel and the tooled chatter-marks along the dowel ends are both consistent with European steamed beech of the period.

CONDITION

Very Good condition overall — fully functional, opens and locks firmly, folds flat without binding. Finish shows light surface wear, minor scuffing to the feet, and small areas of patina darkening at the pivot. No breaks, splits, or missing dowels noted.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Beech Hardwood Construction
• Open: 19" W × 17" D × 15" H
• Closed: 23" H × 17 1/2" W × 2" D
• Folding X-Frame with Single Nickel-Finish Steel Pivot
• Seven Turned Dowel Rails / Arched Gothic Cutout Panel
• Italian, circa 1950s–60s ⚑
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale