Two Armchairs by André Sornay, circa 1950
View Similar Items
Two Armchairs by André Sornay, circa 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Andre Sornay (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 114 in (289.56 cm)Width: 74.5 in (189.23 cm)Depth: 61.5 in (156.21 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Charnay Les Macon, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4284213196701
Andre Sornay
Although he is among the least known of the like-minded French Art Deco furniture designers of his era, André Sornay introduced innovative fabrication techniques and a unique decorative style to his modernist seating, case pieces and other creations.
Sornay was born in Lyon in 1902, and graduated from École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1918. His career as a furniture designer began in 1919 when he was appointed head of his family’s furniture company after his father’s death.
In the early 1920s — inspired by the Bauhaus and De Stijl as well as his friends and fellow French avant-garde designers Francis Jourdain and Pierre Chareau — Sornay shifted the company’s focus from manufacturing period reproductions to creating contemporary designs.
Sornay’s work fused tradition with modernism. He preferred to work with metals, exotic woods such as mahogany and rosewood, rubber and Duco lacquer for a range of cabinets, desks, chairs and mirrors. Sornay’s pieces featured sleek brass drawer pulls and sharply geometric lines, and the distinctive mode that he worked in was known throughout Lyon as “Le Style Sornay.”
Sornay was also recognized for his inventive design methods that were not only decorative but functional. In 1932, he patented the cloudage technique — studding the perimeter of veneered furniture panels with uniform brass nails. Sornay integrated this technique into his wardrobes, side tables and the armchairs he designed, which were frequently defined by clean lines and sharp angles. In the early 1950s, he also patented a technique called the “Tigette,” which allowed for quick and easy assembly or disassembly of modular furniture — a forerunner to IKEA’s flat-packed furniture.
While Sornay isn’t as well known as other European modernists like Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, he attracted modest attention at exhibitions of the day, such as the 1923 Salon d’Automne and the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the design fair that brought the Art Deco style to the world. He was awarded the bronze medal at Paris’s Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in 1937.
In the late 1950s, Sornay ceded control of his furniture design company to his children, remaining as an advisor until production ceased in 1999. He died the following year.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage André Sornay case pieces and storage cabinets, seating and tables.
- Armchair by André SornayBy Andre SornayLocated in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire1950s armchair by French designer André Sornay. Timber frame with upholstered drop in seat and drop in back cushion. Good vintage condition for this rare sought after armchair. Andr...Category
Mid-20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
$4,461 - Pine Andre Sornay armchair, France, 1950'sBy Andre SornayLocated in Austin, TXPine armchair by Andre Sornay, French designer known for his sublime simplicity. France, 1950's.Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Andre Sornay Armchairs, circa 1960, FranceBy Andre SornayLocated in Girona, SpainPair of Andre Sornay armchairs. This armchair will warm up your interior with the color of its wood, a perfect piece for a chalet-type interior...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Mid-Century André Sornay Armchairs, France, circa 1960sBy Andre SornayLocated in New York, NYVintage pair of mid-century André Sornay pine and black lacquered armchairs from France, c. 1960s. Part of the makers patented "tigette" system.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPine
- André Sornay chairBy Andre SornayLocated in LYON, FRPair of 60's armchairs by designer and editor André Sornay, famous Lyon cabinetmaker and master of Art Deco furniture with its studded joints. Structure in varnished solid beech. Gl...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Laminate, Beech
$1,534 / set - Pair of Signed Art Deco Armchairs and Ottoman by André Sornay, circa 1925By Andre SornayLocated in Beverly Hills, CAFrench designer André Sornay’s subtle decorative finesse is echoed in this Pair of Armchairs and Ottoman, featuring walnut wood and distinctive chartreuse velvet upholstery. Sornay's...Category
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsSilk, Velvet, Walnut