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Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

French, 1879-1933

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.

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Creator: Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
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 ...
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Late 20th Century French Art Deco Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

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Nickel

'Drouant' Armchair
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Paris, FR
Stamped 'Ruhlmann' under the seat Varnished wood. LITERATURE : For the same model : F. Camard, Ruhlmann, éditions du regard, Paris, 1983, p. 92, 126, 266. Ruhlmann, un génie de l...
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1920s French Art Deco Vintage Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

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Wood

Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Listel, Pair of Art Deco Chairs, France, circa 1931
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in New York, NY
"Listel", or bead in French, refers not to the commissioning client, as is usual, but rather to the delicate molding that outlines the backrest of this elegant chair. Model recorded...
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1920s French Art Deco Vintage Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

Materials

Bronze

"Cuellar" Wing Chair, Model 101AR/221NR
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Paris, FR
In amaranth, with visible frame going all-over the back and the armrests with flat cuffs resting on the front upright. The low band rests on two bead-shaped legs in gilded bronze w...
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1920s French Art Deco Vintage Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

Materials

Other

Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann Pair of Early 20th Century Chairs for Cité Universitaire
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in PARIS, FR
Emblematic pair of chairs by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann for la Cité Universitaire in Paris. Extraordinary work and condition 100 years later.
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1930s French Art Deco Vintage Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating

Materials

Fabric, Oak

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Émile-jacques Ruhlmann seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann seating 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 Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann seating, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original seating by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann were created in the Art Deco style in france during the 1920s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Armand Albert Rateau, Maurice Dufrêne, and Paul Follot. Prices for Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $28,500 and can go as high as $123,992, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $76,246.
Questions About Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Seating
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024
    A few things characterized the work of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. 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 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. While the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements were early influences, he is renowned for the modernity of his Art Deco designs, which reflected the opulent nature of the era, involving luxurious materials like Macassar ebony, amboyna burl, ivory and precious metals and skilled craftsmanship and construction techniques. Explore a variety of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann furniture on 1stDibs.

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