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Jules Leleu Desks

French, 1883-1961

A designer and ensemblier, Jules Leleu was one of the key authors of the Art Deco movement. While he did not win the fame of such contemporaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank, Leleu had a longer career and was easily their peer in the conception of trim, refined furniture forms and in the use of the opulent materials — from lacquer and ivory to sharkskin and exotic woods — that were a keynote of haute Art Deco design.

Leleu was born into a family of artisans and decorators. Their firm, Maison Leleu, had existed since the 18th century and Jules would guide it through much of the 20th. (The business lasted until 1973, headed at the end by Jules's children.) He studied architecture, served as an aviator in World War I, and after the conflict took up design full-time.

Leleu presented work at the 1925 exposition in Paris that gave us the term Art Deco, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased a burl amboyna wood commode by Leleu directly from the show.

As the desks, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs show, Leleu was a stickler for precision craft and preferred to let his materials do the talking — his furniture is generally spare and sleek; its presence is established by figuring (or patterning/graining) in the wood and the occasional marquetry medallion. He had a keen eye for currents in design and an adaptable sensibility.

Maison Leleu would embrace many of the starker forms of modernism after the 1940s, as well as new materials such as artificial lacquer and plastics (then considered cutting-edge rather than cheap). Jules Leleu is a guiding light of 20th-century modernism: a man whose work represents both a devotion to traditional handiwork and an appreciation for the next wave in design.

Find Jules Leleu tables, sideboards, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Jules Leleu
Jules Leleu- A French 1950s 3 Drawer Walnut Writing Table with Brass Details
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu - A fine French Mid-Century three drawer walnut desk with brass details. A similar desk is shown page 137 of the book "Jules et Andre Leleu" by Vivianne Jutheau - Edited...
Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jules Leleu Desks

Materials

Brass

Jules Leleu- A French 1950s 3 Drawer Walnut Writing Table with Brass Details
Jules Leleu- A French 1950s 3 Drawer Walnut Writing Table with Brass Details

Jules Leleu- A French 1950s 3 Drawer Walnut Writing Table with Brass Details

Elegant Art Deco Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Desk by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Montreal, QC
Elegant Art Deco mahogany and gilt bronze executive desk by Jules Leleu. Inset with leather top and signed in one of the drawers.
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu Desks

Materials

Mahogany

Elegant Art Deco Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Desk by Jules Leleu
Elegant Art Deco Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Desk by Jules Leleu

Elegant Art Deco Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Desk by Jules Leleu

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Jules Leleu desks for sale on 1stDibs.

Jules Leleu desks 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 Jules Leleu desks, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original desks by Jules Leleu were created in the mid-century modern style in france during the 20th century. Prices for Jules Leleu desks can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $24,500 and can go as high as $38,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $31,500.

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