Endeavoring to create exquisite work that would endure forever, designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann defined the grandeur of the French Art Deco movement of the 1920s. His luxurious storage cabinets, seating, other furniture and interiors garnered considerable popularity alongside the growth in post–World War I Paris’s population of newly wealthy residents.
The Paris-born Ruhlmann was the son of a decorating contractor, a business he took over in the early 1900s and expanded into furniture and interior design. But by the end of his career, he was best known for being a skilled ensemblier, a term for a designer who not only makes furniture and decorates spaces but rather personally crafts each and every piece required in the space, from doorknobs to sofas. This practice ensured that the space was harmonious and consistent with Ruhlmann’s vision, and it contributed to the lasting popularity of his designs.
Ruhlmann enjoyed the patronage of the newly affluent and was encouraged by the popularity of Art Deco. While the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements were early influences, he is renowned for the modernity of his Art Deco–era designs, which reflected the celebratory nature of the times, including an integration of opulent flourishes; luxurious materials like Macassar ebony, amboyna burl, ivory and precious metals; and skilled craftsmanship and construction techniques.
Renowned all over the world, Ruhlmann was commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to design a cabinet in 1925, embellishing its curved door with a sophisticated floral motif by way of an ornate marriage of wood and ivory veneer. Also in 1925, at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, arguably the exhibition that introduced Art Deco on an international level, his pavilion was the most popular.
By the time the economic depression of the 1930s materialized, Ruhlmann’s exorbitantly expensive designs were no longer viable. But the majesty and elegance of the ’20s remain an important part of design history, and Ruhlmann has been described as “perhaps its finest exponent.”
Find a collection of authentic Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann furniture on 1stDibs.
| Average Sold Price |
| $6,721 |
| Styles |
| Materials |
| Related Creators |
$2,995 / set
H 23.75 in W 18.25 in D 35.25 in
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Style French Art Deco Armchairs, Pair
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional pair of French Art Deco club chairs or dining armchairs In the manner of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann France, Circa Late 20th Century Black lacquered sculptural mahogany ...
Nickel
Ruhlmann 'Tournecol' Tinted Oak Side Table
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
“Tournecol” side table or nightstand in solid oak and oak veneer with an oblong shape, open compartment, and drawers resting on a roller base. Referenced under N° 1009AR and 1049N...
Oak
$90,753
H 33.47 in W 23.23 in D 22.45 in
Ruhlmann 'Fuseau-Facettes' Amaranth Armchair, 'Monsieur' Model
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
‘Fuseau- Facettes’ armchair in solid amaranth, ‘Monsieur’ model, upholstered with Loro Piana purple cashmere, gondola back, and waist with cut sides, the two front legs tapered and f...
Upholstery, Purpleheart
Ruhlmann 'Forme Ruhlmann 1' Enameled and Gilt Porcelain Vase
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Vase 'Forme Ruhlmann 1'. Important balustre vase with a flat shoulder resting on a small pedestal, featuring a ring-shaped neck. A porcelain piece decorated with oven-fired gold star...
Porcelain
Ruhlmann Rare Two-Tier Macassar Ebony Console
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Rare two-tier console in Macassar ebony, a variation of the console originally created by Ruhlmann in 1915. The rectangular top, framed by an elegant gadroon, rests on four tall, sli...
Ebony, Macassar
Ruhlmann 'Cabanel Basse-Boule' Indian Rosewood Table
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
“Cabanel Basse-Boule” table in Indian rosewood and rosewood veneer on a Hungarian oak frame. The thick top rests on four large fluted spheres set on circular plinths with open rectan...
Oak, Rosewood
Ruhlmann Kindwood and Gilt Bronze Side Table
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Kingwood side table with two platforms and four elegantly curved legs with gilt bronze sabots. Stamped ‘Ruhlmann’ and with the Atelier ‘A’ mark. Reference number 1001NR in the Ruhl...
Bronze
Ruhlmann 'Virgule' Dressing Table Mirror
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
‘Virgule’ dressing table mirror in silvered bronze. The circular mirror stands on a silvered bronze foot shaped like a comma, hence the name "Virgule", meaning comma in French. It is...
Bronze
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| $6,721 |
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months |
| $550-$12,334 |
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