In a small studio in Lahore, where the dusty light of evening drips through wooden shutters, the first idea of the Hippo Table was sketched. Dr. Syed Mustafa was leafing through design journals one afternoon when he came across Derek Pearce’s “water table” series — hippos emerging gently from glass tops, nature captured in a moment between form and illusion.
That image lingered. Not as imitation, but as inspiration. In that pause, he imagined something different: a table that carries quiet strength, one that roots itself in earth, in craftsmanship, and in time. He envisioned a hippo’s body sculpted in wood — not just a base, but a presence that anchors the room. The glass isn’t just a flat top — it’s the mirrored surface of water, offering reflection, light, contrast.
Studio Notes: The Making of a Modern Classic
From that spark, the work began. Months passed. The workshop smelled of freshly cut timber and polish. Artisans worked by hand: first roughing out curves with chisels, then refining grain under soft lamps. The humid summers challenged wood, the chilly winters demanded patience — every piece expanding, contracting, settling until stability held. Every decision mattered: the thickness of the timber, the angle of curve, the finishing that allowed light to caress the wood but hid joints in shadow.
Nine months later, the Hippo Table emerged. Not merely functional, but sculptural. It pushes back against sameness. In daylight, it casts soft shadows; at dusk, it offers warm reflections. It holds cups, books, laughter, and moments — but more than that, it holds stories. Stories of long nights, of hands stained in harm’s way, of sessions of trial and error. It’s a table you touch first, and later realize it was made to be felt — in the pause of your breath, in the echo of footsteps, in the hush of admiration.
Made in Pakistan, carrying global inspirations. Each Hippo Table is an ode to effort, to art, to the belief that furniture should do more than function — that it should command a room, endure years, and remain meaningful.
The Art of Stillness — The Hippo Table StoryStill as water, strong as will — the Hippo Table lives between grace and gravity.
Dr. Syed Mustafa
An Invitation to Experience the Extraordinary
To truly understand the Hippo Table, you have to see it — to let the light trace its curves, to feel the weight of its calm. Photographs capture form, but not presence. We invite you to experience it yourself. Book a private viewing, step into our studio, and witness how patience, art, and wood converge into one timeless piece.
Some creations must be felt to be believed. The Hippo Table belongs to that rare kind. We open our doors for those who wish to experience the quiet power of craftsmanship up close. Book a studio visit, walk beside it, run your hand along its contours — and see why it took nine months to become what it is today.
What you see here is only the surface. The Hippo Table reveals its soul only in person — where every reflection, every grain, every curve tells its own story. Schedule a private tour and discover how design, patience, and imagination come alive under one name — Marquis.
