Jean Royère, Windsor Sofa for Maison Gouffé, FR, circa 1938

View Similar Items

French Sofa after Jean Prouve, circa 1950

Mid Century Polar Sofa Jean Royere stile

Polar Bear Sofa in the Style of Jean Royère, 2000s USA

Classic Sofa by Frits Henningsen, circa 1938

Gio Ponti White Sofa from Casa & Giardino, circa 1938

Elm & Boucle Sofa by Maison Regain, France circa 1970

Peter Marino Architects ‘Getty’ Example Sofa Royere Style

Raphael Raffel Croissant sofa for Maison Honoré, Paris 1970s

Guillerme et Chambron, Sofa "Denis" Edition Votre Maison, circa 1970

Maison Regain, Rare Large Corner Sofa in Elm circa 1960

Two Raphael Raffel Croissant Sofas for Maison Honoré, Paris, 1970s

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 6

Jean Royère, Windsor Sofa for Maison Gouffé, FR, circa 1938

About the Item

This incredibly rare Royère sofa is a superb early example of Royère’s playful design sense, which he would hone over the course of a fifty-year career. Manufactured in Paris for Maison Gouffé, circa 1938, the sofa holds an illustrious provenance, procured first by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and later by famed painter, John Currin. Taking inspiration from the classic design of Louis XV corbeille sofas, Royère exaggerated the scale of the piece for a modern audience, giving it a whimsical shape and rich jewel tone color. By over-emphasizing elements of the sofa such as the serpentine back, the curved sides, and the elaborate button tufting, Royère created a timeless piece that has engaged admiration for decades. In 2002 the sofa appeared in Blithe Spirit: The Windsor Set, an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, which highlighted the close relationship between fashion and interior design, situating the romantic and spectacular evening gowns of the Windsor’s within the larger context of the fine and decorative arts of the period. The sofa has proven to be timeless and monumental. Jean Royère (1902–1981) was a French interior designer known for his bright, plush, and playful furniture. Often perceived as outside of the modernist trajectory ascribed to 20th century design, Royère was nonetheless informed by and enormously influential to his peers. He began his design career in Paris’ cabinet-making workshops before receiving his first big commission, designing a new layout for the Brasserie Carlton on the Champs Elysées in 1934. Taking on the mantle of the great artistes décorateurs of 1940s France, Royère’s success continued with great vitality into the second half of the twentieth century. His luxurious style soon caught the eye of the world’s elite, and his career took him to designing couture furniture and spaces for the likes of King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran. He was one of the first to promote a new way of life through interior decoration, and his lively approach solidified his career with an international audience. Provenance: Manufactured by Maison Gouffé, Paris, circa 1938; to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; to Eric Phillipe, Paris; to Barry Friedman; to John Currin via Sotheby’s, New York, December 17, 2004 (Sale NO8023). Exhibitions: Blithe Spirit: The Windsor Set, New York, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, November 2002-February 2003. Measures: 108 x 34 inches.

Creator:
Jean Royère (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 104 in (264.16 cm)Depth: 34 in (86.36 cm)
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1938
Condition:
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU80087795663

Shop All Jean Royère

Jean Royère

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.