A Jean Royere Iron Chandelier. France 1950
View Similar Items
A Jean Royere Iron Chandelier. France 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Jean Royère (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 49.22 in (125 cm)Width: 31.89 in (81 cm)Depth: 13 in (33 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Madrid, ES
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9545768176
Jean Royère
World traveler, polyglot and avant-garde visionary Jean Royère (1902–81) is one of the biggest names in French mid-century design. He was fascinated by different materials, such as raffia and zebrawood, and aesthetics from around the world, from Scandinavian modernism to the traditions of the Middle East. Owing to this venturesome spirit, Royère produced an eclectic body of work that truly doesn’t fit a singular style. One light fixture might have organic shapes reminiscent of Art Nouveau, while a table would be crafted with minimalist straw marquetry.
Born in Paris, Royère studied classics at Cambridge University and then worked for an import-export company. In 1931, he switched gears to design, studying cabinetmaking in the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and furniture making under the tutelage of Pierre Gouffé. He made his debut in interior design in 1934 when he won a design contest for the brasserie in the Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées.
Royère’s most famous piece of furniture was his biomorphic Boule sofa, sometimes playfully called the Ours Polaire, or Polar Bear. Designed for his mother in 1947, the curved sofa with its fuzzy white velvet shocked the French interior design world when it was displayed at the Art et Industrie exhibition, but it proved enduringly popular with customers, such as the Shah of Iran, who purchased several for his daughter. Royère would continue to design furniture and interiors for an elite clientele, including the kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Royère retired in 1972, then moved to the United States in 1980. After he died a year later, his archives were given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His works continue to be highly coveted — Kanye West, for instance, once tweeted that the Polar Bear sofa is his favorite piece of furniture. In 2016, Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris opened a retrospective of his distinctive designs, from the plush 1943 Eléphanteau chair to the 1963 Tour Eiffel table with its elegant metal supports.
Find vintage Jean Royère tables, storage cabinets and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Red Iron Double Sconces After Jean Royere, France 1950By Jean RoyèreLocated in New York, NYPair of sconces in red painted steel, nice patina. Reminiscent of the creations of Jean Royere. Two pairs are available.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsIron
- ceiling light in the manner of Jean RoyéreBy Jean RoyèreLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful ceiling light with metal cage and paper reflector, brass elements. Original condition from the 1950's Model close to the work of Jean RoyéreCategory
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
$2,080 Sale Price20% Off - 20th century French Jean Touret Wrought Iron Chandelier, 1950sBy Jean TouretLocated in LEGNY, FRWrought iron chandelier dating from the 1950s made by Jean Touret for the Marolles workshops in France. Rooster represented on the top of the chandelier, very beautiful iron work. S...Category
Vintage 1950s French Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsWrought Iron
- French 1950s Gilt Iron ChandelierLocated in Isle Sur La Sorgue, VaucluseFrench midcentury gilt iron chandelier, with an elegant, bulbous centre part composed of multiple twirling rods, adorned with leaves. The arms extend down and out in an elegant, swee...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsIron
- Large Iron Chandelier, France, circa 1950sLocated in Isle Sur La Sorgue, VaucluseLarge iron eight-light chandelier, with a burnished gold finish. Elaborately scrolled arms and detail; ending in a finial.Category
Mid-20th Century French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsIron
- 1950s French Wrought Iron Basket ChandelierLocated in Tarrytown, NY1950s French wrought iron basket chandelier.Category
Vintage 1950s Chandeliers and Pendants