'40s Jean Royère 'Sangle' Armchair in cotton and wood
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Royère 'Sangle' armchair 1946 Wood, cotton Measures: 81 x 53 x 55 cm
1940s French Vintage Jean Royère Armchairs
Cotton, Wood
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.
'40s Jean Royère 'Sangle' Armchair in cotton and wood
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Royère 'Sangle' armchair 1946 Wood, cotton Measures: 81 x 53 x 55 cm
Cotton, Wood
Price Upon Request
'50s Jean Royère 'Ours Polaire' Armchair in Oak and Velvet Upholstery
By Jean Royère
Located in Paris, FR
Jean Royère 'Ours polaire' armchair 1950 Oak and velvet upholstery
Upholstery, Velvet, Oak
$1,913Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 75 in W 63 in D 60 in
Pair of vintage 40s wood and fabric armchairs Italian design
Located in None, IT
Pair of armchairs with wooden frame, green fabric cover and gold studs, Italian design, 1940s. CONDITION: In good condition, with signs of wear due to age. SIZING: Height 75 cm; wi...
Fabric, Wood
Mid-Century Jean Prouvè All Wood Standard Armchair
By Jean Prouvé
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Jean Prouve standard chair in all wood for Ateliers Jean Prouvè 1941. A rare collectors piece.
Wood
$4,950 / set
H 38.19 in W 24.81 in D 30.71 in
Art Deco Armchairs In Oak Bentwood and New Upholstery, Austria 1930
Located in Almelo, NL
Art Deco Armchairs In Oak Bentwood and New Upholstery, Austria 1930 These are two Art Deco armchairs or lounge chairs that were made in Austria in the 1930s. They are made from Oak ...
Oak, Upholstery
Mid-Century Armchair in Red Velvet Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lounge chair, velvet, stained beech, Czech Republic, 1960s This well-proportioned armchair is clear in its appearance with angular shapes and striking lines dominating the layout. A...
Velvet, Beech
$1,324Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 25.6 in D 29.14 in
1960s, Danish armchair, furniture wool/cotton fabric, teak wood.
Located in Tarm, 82
1960s, Danish armchair in quality furniture wool/cotton fabric. Chair was reupholstered about 15 years ago by craftsman. Very good condition: no smells, no stains, stable constructio...
Wool, Cotton, Oak, Teak
$12,424 / set
H 35.04 in W 31.89 in D 31.5 in
Pair of Sculptural Armchairs, Solid Oak and Pure Alpaca Upholstery
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Royère, Jules Leleu, Jacques Adnet
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A pair of refined, organic armchairs, with a curved, sculptural form in solid oak and upholstered in a premium pure Alpaca fabric. Also available in COM. Fast shipping worldwide.
Alpaca, Oak
Italian Armchair from the 40s in the Style of Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This Italian armchair was made in the 1940s in the style of Paolo Buffa. Two white cushions rest on the beautifully crafted cherry wood frame and have been refinished for your choice...
Cherry
$7,800 / set
H 31.5 in W 20.5 in D 25 in
Robert Lewis Pair Steel Pipe Armchairs Hand Built Santa Barbara CA, 1930s/40s
By Robert Lewis
Located in Camden, ME
Pair of Robert Lewis steel pipe armchairs circa 1940 hand crafted in Santa Barbara, CA. . Classic outdoor chairs. The chairs are in very good condit...
Steel
$4,400 / set
H 30.12 in W 21.26 in D 21.46 in
Edward Wormley Pair of Armchairs in Green Velvet Upholstery
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar, pair of armchairs, beech, velvet, United States, 1960s These armchairs are designed by Edward Wormley for the furniture company Dunbar in the sixties. The...
Velvet, Beech
Antique Italian Armchair in Carved Wood and Leather
Located in San Francisco, CA
This style of chair is often referred to as a Dante or Savonarola chair, made of carved wood and heavy saddle leather. The frame is X- shaped and the chair is decorated with detailed carving across the rest arms, back and in the frontal center of the crossing legs. The leather on the back and seat are a cognac color. Upholstery nails and rosettes tacks embellish the leather chair. Statement chair...
Brass
$1,673
H 49.22 in W 26.78 in D 31.5 in
Louis XVI Armchair, Hand-Carved Oak, Green Velvet Upholstery, 1771
Located in Greding, DE
Louis XVI armchair made of solid oak with scroll-like armrests and carved scale and dentil friezes on the frame. The armchair rests on tapering fluted legs and is upholstered in gree...
Velvet, Oak
$1,280 / item
H 24.81 in W 29.93 in D 31.5 in
"Mapá" Contemporary Armchair in Wood and Braided Straw with Raw Cotton Cushion
By Estúdio Orth
Located in Sao Paulo, BR
This contemporary armchair in wood and braided straw with raw cotton cushion was meticulously handmade by master artisans one piece at a time. It is therefore quite difficult, if not...
Wood, Straw
Jean Royere Chair 1945, Original Condition
By Jean Royère
Located in Encino, CA
Jean Royere ( 1902 - 1981 ) Authentic Original Beechwood chair 1945, Model "Croisillon" H.30"3/4 x W.21"1/8 x D.20"3/8 Original condition ...
Beech