NEW YORK, NY.- An outstanding and important suite of furniture by master furniture maker, Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, the pre-eminent designer of Art Deco furniture and objets d'art, will be offered in the 20th Century Decorative Arts Sale at
Bonhams New York on June 11.
Ruhlmann, called Art Decos greatest designer by the New York Times, was commissioned to make a group of prized macassar ebony furniture for the Paris showroom of Vivelle-Yardley perfumes on avenue de l'Opera, circa 1926. The eight pieces for the Parfumerie that will be auctioned in June consist of two long tables that are variants of Ruhlmann's iconic "Ambassade "desk (est. $120,000-180,000 each); two "Cannele" armchairs (est. $50,000-80,000 pair), two X-form "Ixe" stools (est. $70,000-90,000 pair) and two square tables which are a variant of the "Patrouillard" model (est. $80,000-120,000 each).
Each piece is in ebene-de-macassar with silvered-bronze feet. The superb design and workmanship of these pieces are exemplary of the Ruhlmann atelier, long considered one of the finest of the Art Deco period.
London based Yardley & Company, well known and respected in England since 1770, had purchased the French-based Viville Perfumerie in 1924, in an effort to expand its European market. The company turned to Ruhlmann, an established tastemaker, to decorate its showroom.
The Viville-Yardley showroom closed in the late 1960s and the building and contents were purchased by gallerist Jacques Kugel. In 1970, these pieces were acquired by the Toledo Museum where they have remained until now.
The auction will begin at 1 pm.