One of the most elegant and innovative 20th-century French furniture designers, Jacques Adnet created a simple, unadorned signature style that is both trim and vigorous. He began his career in the heyday of the Art Deco era, and in the 1950s, in association with Hermès, created chairs, lamps, desks and other pieces that employed slender metal frames clad in stitched saddle leather. With such furnishings, Adnet brought a fashion sensibility to design and decor that had not been seen since the 1920s prime of the great Paris couturier-decorator Paul Poiret.
Adnet was born in a provincial town in Burgundy, where he studied design before moving, along with his twin brother, Jean, to Paris to study at the École des Arts Décoratifs. After their graduation in the early 1920s, the brothers were hired to work in the decorative-arts atelier of the department store Galeries Lafayette, under the direction of Maurice Dufrêne, an Art Deco master who developed a singularly robust and opulent style. Both Adnets showed their work at the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes — the design fair from which the term Art Deco is derived.
In 1928, Jacques Adnet took charge of the struggling La Compagnie des Arts Français, a decorative-arts firm founded by Louis Süe and André Mare that created modern furnishings that bore traces of 18th-century styling. Adnet immediately took the company in a different direction. He developed a simple lithe and lean look that incorporated industrial materials such as metal and glass, along with exotic woods and finishes such as parchment and sharkskin.
Adnet’s furniture begs to be described in terms of personalities: charming faux-bamboo side tables, suave chrome lighting and urbane club chairs. His most noted pieces, which feature sleek metal frames wrapped in Hermès leather, have a character all their own — smooth, elegant and self-assured, they inhabit a room with the same wit and grace as Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve.
Find vintage Jacques Adnet furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Horloge en cuir noir et laiton par Jacques Adnet 1950's
By Jacques Adnet
Located in TOURCOING, FR
Horloge en cuir noir et laiton par Jacques Adnet 1950's Jacques Adnet (1900–1984) est une figure majeure du design français, issu de l’Art déco, réputé pour ses meubles et accessoir...
Brass
Round Clock and Barometer in Black Leather by Jacques Adnet, France, 1950
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Paris, FR
In 1950, the designer Jacques Adnet developed a collection of furniture and accessories in stitched leather. This clock and this barometer come from this collection. They are round, ...
Brass
Jacques Adnet Rare Leather and Bronze Horseshoe Wall Clock, France, 1950s
By Jacques Adnet
Located in New York, NY
Jacques Adnet rare horseshoe wall clock covered in original black saddle-stiched leather suspended by brass hanging ring with hands and numbers in bronz...
Brass
Jacques Adnet Magazine Rack
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsome magazine rack by Jacques Adnet. Made of iron and brass. Excellent vintage condition. Star detail on both sides and closed fist on top. Great piece!
Brass, Iron
Black Industrial Factory Wall Clock from Siemens, 1950s
By Siemens
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This wall clock was produced by Siemens in Germany during the 1950s. It features a black metal frame, a metal dial and a clear glass cover. The piece has been converted into a batter...
Iron
$16,404 / set
H 20.48 in W 12.6 in D 5.52 in
French Rococo Style Gilt Bronze Clock and Barometer by Charpentier
By Charpentier et Cie
Located in London, GB
Designed in the French Rococo style, this clock and barometer set have been beautifully ornamented with scrolling foliate gilt bronze forms. The two are diamond shaped, with symmetri...
Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Jacques Adnet Ashtray in Leather & Glass, France 1950's
By Jacques Adnet
Located in New York, NY
Cast glass vide poche with original leather brown trim.
Leather, Art Glass
$1,018
H 7.49 in W 7.88 in D 2.76 in
French Handstitched Brown Leather Clock, Jacques Adnet Attributed, 1950s
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Den Haag, NL
French handstitched brown leather clock, Jacques Adnet attributed, 1950s.
Brass
1950's Stitched Leather Vide Poche by Jacques Adnet
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Bois-Colombes, FR
1950's stitched leather vide poche by Jacques Adnet Chromed metal, Burgundy leather and glass Great condition.
Metal
$523
H 30.32 in W 5.32 in D 2.76 in
Midcentury Wall Clock in the Form of a Wristwatch in Leather and Brass, Germany
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
Midcentury wall clock in the form of a wristwatch in leather and brass, Germany Made in Germany by Meister Anker. Electric, battery operated clock.
Metal, Brass
Vintage French Bronze Mantel Clock, 1950s Mid-Century Decor
Located in Bastogne, BE
Add a touch of timeless French sophistication to your interior with this magnificent vintage bronze mantel clock. Dating back to 1950s France, this piece captures the elegance and g...
Bronze
Antique Clock and Barometer
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique Victorian clock and barometer adorned with medieval weaponry.
Bronze
$12,987
H 6.3 in W 6.7 in D 2.76 in
French brass and red enamel compendium carriage clock and barometer
Located in London, GB
French brass and red enamel compendium carriage clock and barometer French, late 19th Century Height 16cm, width 17cm, depth 7cm With the clock to the left and barometer to the right, this beautiful compendium clock...
Brass, Enamel
$4,450
H 94 in W 16.5 in D 11 in
Late 20th C. French Louis XV Burl Walnut “Horloge Bressane” Grandfather Clock
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted near Lyon, France in 1981, this elegant “Horloge Bressane” showcases the refined lines and graceful proportions of the Louis XV style. Built of richly figured burl walnut, t...
Burl
$4,800
H 10 in W 6.5 in D 7.5 in
Antique Victorian Silvered Bronze Horseshoe and Bit Clock, circa 1860's
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique Victorian silvered bronze horseshoe and bit clock, Circa 1860's. The piece comes with a winding key, size 5.
Bronze