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.
Ruhlmann Macassar Ebony Veneer Photograph Frame
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Photograph frame in Macassar ebony veneer and glass, bearing the mark of Atelier A. Referenced under nos. 3915AR and 1709NR in the Ruhlmann archives, Musée des Années 30, Boulogne. ...
Glass, Ebony, Macassar
Ruhlmann Macassar Ebony Photograph Frame
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Photograph frame in Macassar ebony veneer and glass from circa 1932. Which was designed for Mr. Lagier, creator of the eponymous brand and manufacturer of furniture radios and wirele...
Glass, Ebony, Macassar
Ruhlmann 'Haardt' Macassar Ebony Letterbox
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
“Haardt” rectangular letter box with three compartments. Referenced under nos. 3928AR and 1703NR in the Ruhlmann archives, Musée des Années 30, Boulogne-Billancourt. Provenance: Émil...
Ebony, Macassar
Ruhlmann Gilt Bronze Photograph Frame
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Berlin, DE
Gilt bronze rectangular photograph frame set on an elegant curved base, end-ing in a volute motif at the front. Stamped 'Ruhlmann'. Model No. 1710NRReference No for the model 1710NR ...
Bronze
Macassar Wood Letter Rack by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Montreal, QC
Maccassar Letter rack by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann graduated semi-circle slats on l base, Iron stamped: "Ruhlmann
Macassar
Vintage Palm Wood Framed Photograph from Cambodia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A vintage photograph from Cambodia framed in a palm wood & glass frame. Dimensions: Height 38cm x Width 27cm x Depth 0.05cm.
Glass, Wood
A fine Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Photo frame
Located in London, GB
A superb Napoleon III gilt bronze and satin lined photo frame, with space for three photos. Superb gilt bronze mounts, of good size. With a strut foot, or hoops, allowing it to be pl...
Bronze
$880Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.38 in W 7.5 in D 9.5 in
Fine Antique French Neoclassical Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Picture Frame
Located in Miami, FL
A fine ornate antique French Louis XV style gilt bronze photo frame with back easel stand, Napoleon III era, circa 1880. Richly decorated with neoclassical style motifs such as faces...
Bronze
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Letter Rack
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze desk letter holder rack By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 6"W x 2.5"D x 4.2...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Letter Rack by Jacques Adnet
By Jacques Adnet, Compagnie Des Arts Français
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Jacques Adnet & the Compagnie des arts Français letter rack. Chromed metal consisting of a series of vertical blades of curved section resting on rectangul...
Silver Plate, Brass, Chrome
Gilt Bronze Frame, Contemporary Work
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Rectangular shape gilt bronze frame with a decor of small beads agglomerate. Contemporary work.
Bronze
$3,450
H 15 in W 10 in D 0.65 in
Wonderful French Ormolu Purple Enamel Gilt Bronze Bow Picture Frame Miniature
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful and rare French ormolu bronze and purple enamel picture frame with a miniature on the top with bows and tassels. Frame: 10" W X 15" H Picture:7" W X 9&q...
Bronze, Enamel
Tiffany Studios Gilt-Bronze Picture Frame, circa 1900
By Tiffany Studios
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Tiffany Studios gilt-bronze picture frame, circa 1900 Stamped Tiffany Studios/NEW YORK/1611. Measures: Height 11.87 in. (30.16 cm.), Width 9.75 in. (24.76 cm.).
Glass
$1,300
H 7.69 in W 13.38 in D 5.69 in
Macassar, Chrome and Lucite Desk Accessory Letter Holder, circa 1940
By Studio Art Deco
Located in Atlanta, GA
Exceptional French Art Deco Desk Accessory in Macassar, Chrome, and Lucite, circa 1940 A rare and refined embodiment of Art Deco modernism, this exquisite desk accessory was crafted ...
Metal, Chrome
Sea Green Shagreen and Macassar Ebony Box with Bone Inlay
Located in New York, NY
Elegant, exotic, and unmistakably refined, shagreen has long captivated those with a discerning eye for luxury. A study in subtle opulence, this artisan-crafted decorative box is wr...
Stainless Steel
Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Photograph Frame
By J Aitkin & Son
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Edwardian English sterling silver Art Nouveau photograph frame; an addition to our theatrical related silverware collection. This exceptional antique Edwardian sterling silver frame has a circular shaped form with a plain circular internal window. The surface of this silver photo frame is embellished with impressive embossed Art Nouveau style stemmed floral decoration, accented with foliage amidst a scrolling border. The upper portion of the frame incorporates the embossed Shakespearian quote 'Theres Rosemary, Thats for Remembrance'. This impressive photo frame has a velvet covered back and hinged strut, secured with a swivel catch, the body and strut of the frame have been recovered in red velvet replicating the appearance of the original covering. This impressive example of Edwardian silverware is inset with a removable glass panel. The lower portion of this Art Nouveau silver photo frame bears...
Sterling Silver
Ebony Macassar Box, circa 1930, Brown Color, France
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Art Deco, Ebony Macassar box, for decoration or jelwery. It has been made in France arond 1930, it is in a brown color.
Ebony
Art Deco Signed Ruhlmann Pink Granite Sculpture
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in IT
Art Deco sculpture, signed Ruhlmann, pink granite. Provenance: family object, Lyon region The sculpture, showing a lady profile, is composed of two piece...
Granite
Ruhlmann's Office Wastepaper Basket, 1930-1940
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ruhlmann's office wastepaper basket, 1930-1940, copper strips and oak veneer. H: 30 cm, W: 31 cm, D: 30 cm
Copper
Art Deco Waste Paper Basket Ruhlmann, France, 1930
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Art Deco waste paper basket, 1930. Restored condition. Literature: About the artist: Ruhlmann by Florence Camard. Worldwide f...
Copper
Art Deco Waste Paper Basket by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Paris, FR
An art deco waste paper basket by Ruhlmann from the 1930s. Plywood and chromium plated metal.
Metal
Sold
H 8.2 in W 5.7 in
C. 1925 : Two Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann Silver Bronze Lights "Appliques à deux bras de lumière"
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Paris, FR
Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879 - 1933). Two "Appliques à deux bras de lumière" Circa 1925. Silver bronze. With ivory lampshades. Height : 8.2 in./21 cm, Width : 5.7 in./14,6 cm