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James Mont

American, Turkish, 1904-1978

James Mont’s life as an unmistakably talented furniture designer and interior decorator could fill the pages of a best-selling novel or be reimagined as a Hollywood feature film. From the 1930s through the 1960s, Tinseltown’s glitterati and Manhattan’s Mafia underworld coveted his sofas, coffee tables and table lamps.

Mont was born Demetrios Pecintoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1904 to a family of artists. He reportedly studied architecture and art in Spain and France, and during the 1920s, Mont immigrated with his family to the United States.

Mont and his family settled in New York, where he found work in a Brooklyn electrical supply shop. There he sold hardware and designed his own lighting fixtures. The latter caught the eye of a gangster named Frankie Yale, who commissioned him to refurnish his house. Mont’s opulent designs drew on Art Deco, Hollywood Regency and were occasionally marked by chinoiserie, then a very popular trend in decorating. He created the kind of low-profile side tables and sofas that are frequently associated with mid-century modernism, and he is credited today with helping popularize the integration of Asian influences in modern American design.

Mont soon attracted New York City’s most infamous crime bosses, including Charles “Lucky” Luciano and Frank Costello. For a range of mobsters, he created fashionable, functional and sophisticated pieces such as collapsible home bars that would fold down and out of view — a particularly convenient feature during Prohibition — and tables and desks with secret drawers, which were also handy to Mont’s shady clientele.

“You bought a bar from him, and he would also deliver booze in a baby carriage,” antiques dealer and furniture retailer Todd Merrill told New York about Mont in 2008.

Mont designed a room for the World’s Fair in 1939 and later befriended Hollywood celebrities such as Bob Hope, who was best man at his wedding, Irving Berlin and Lana Turner. During the 1940s and ‘50s, Mont continued designing furniture, mastering finishing techniques such as lacquering and incorporating a distinctive “leafing” print effect with silver and gold into his pieces.

Mont’s designs enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s, and his pieces continue to be sought after by collectors.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage James Mont sideboards, tables and storage cabinets.

Vintage Brass Character Lamps After James Mont - Set of 2
By James Mont
Located in west palm beach, FL
Add timeless sophistication to your decor with this pair of vintage brass character lamps inspired by the designs of James Mont. Featuring sculptural br...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency James Mont

Materials

Brass

James Mont Designs Greek Key Dining Table & 10 Chairs Silver & Green
By James Mont
Located in Hanover, MA
James Mont Designs extending octagonal top dining table banded with a 2 inch apron of carved Chinoiserie fretwork atop four fluted pedestal columns standing on a cruciform Greek key ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage James Mont

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Vintage James Mont Style Black Lacquer Asian Ming Chairs - Pair
By James Mont
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage James Mont Style Black Lacquer Asian Ming Chairs - Pair Featuring a pair of modern James Mont Style Black Lacquer Asian Chinoiserie Ming Chairs in green fabric. A touch of F...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern James Mont

Materials

Wrought Iron

Ultra Rare Vintage Cerused Chest of Drawers from James Mont
By James Mont
Located in Hartville, OH
Extraordinary Find. Ultra Rare Cerused Chest the cream lacquered drawer fronts by James Mont. Beautiful piece. Signed.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage James Mont

Materials

Lacquer

Pair of James Mont Style Brass Chinoiserie Lamps
By James Mont
Located in Redding, CT
Pair of James Mont Style Brass Chinoiserie Lamps. Intricate Asian motifs and detail to the brass design. Elegant large designer lamps that will make a statement in any room. Measure...
Category

1960s American Chinoiserie Vintage James Mont

Materials

Brass

James Mont Bookcase Or Buffet Cabinet
By James Mont
Located in Houston, TX
James Mont Bookcase Or Buffet Cabinet. Offered is a handsome Chinese Chippendle style bookcase, buffet cabinet, sideboard or cupboard with a pagoda top and a gilt Greek key design. T...
Category

1950s Unknown Chinese Chippendale Vintage James Mont

Materials

Wood

James Mont Bookcase Or Buffet Cabinet
James Mont Bookcase Or Buffet Cabinet
H 83.82 in W 76.07 in D 20.07 in
Art Deco Coffee Table by James Mont in Original Estate Condition
By James Mont
Located in New York, NY
Classic Art Deco, Hollywood Regency style low slung coffee, cocktail table by enigmatic designer, James Mont. The table exhibits Art Deco, Asia Modern and traditional Chinese design ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Art Deco James Mont

Materials

Wood

Pr. High Style Silver Gilt Bachelors Chests by James Mont
By James Mont
Located in New York, NY
Voguish, chic and sophisticated pair of Hollywood Regency three drawer Bachelors Chests, in silver gilt finish, with upholstered drawer fronts. Both chests are structurally sound ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency James Mont

Materials

Upholstery, Giltwood

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James Mont furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

James Mont furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of James Mont furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by James Mont were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Gerald Thurston, The Marbro Lamp Company, and Robert Sonneman.

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