Unique and Exceptional, 1928 Wardrobe by André Sornay
View Similar Items
Unique and Exceptional, 1928 Wardrobe by André Sornay
About the Item
- Creator:Andre Sornay (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 71.66 in (182 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1928
- Condition:Very good condition of vintage. Very beautiful patina.
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU238836200083
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.
- Rare André Sornay French Wardrobes Armoires Art Deco Modernist 40s - F613By Andre SornayLocated in Lyon, FRArmoire, bookcase from the 50's by the french designer André Sornay. Structure in solid mahogany and veneer highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the furniture (see photos). The large sliding door opens on a series of solid wood shelves...Category
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass, Copper
- 40's Cabinet by French Designer Andre Sornay Mahogany and Copper Art DecoBy Andre SornayLocated in Lyon, FR1940s cabinet by French designer André Sornay. The structure is made of solid mahogany and veneered wood, highlighted by a system of brass nails perfectly aligned around the edges of...Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Cabinets
MaterialsBrass, Copper
- André Sornay Highboard in Mahogany and AshBy Andre SornayLocated in Waalwijk, NLAndré Sornay for Atelier Sornay, wardrobe or armoire, ash, mahogany, France, 1950s Iconic midcentury wardrobe by French designer André Sornay. With its geometric design and the com...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsAsh, Mahogany
- 1930s Modernist Wardrobe by André Sornay, Stamped and DocumentedBy Andre SornayLocated in London, GBThis masterful and exceptionally proportioned Modernist wardrobe by André Sornay shows why his stature as one of the most important designers ...Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsWood
- Andre Sornay Room Divider Cabinet, France, 1955By Andre SornayLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStunning minimalistic room divider wardrobe designed by cabinet maker Andre Sornay, France 1955. This rare room divider cabinet was designed with his 'tigette system' which was basic...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWood, Teak
$10,962 / item - Handmade Stunning Unique Luxury Artist Armoire WardrobeLocated in Paris, FRCompletely luxury handmade armoire wardrobe closet in Wooden structure, fabric, metal and brass elements, sequins, berglass, trimming, nails and studs. Bronze knobs for external doors and handmade inner drawers, with lost-wax casting technique. size: W 91cm x D 46cm H 191 cm Full of splendour that it is declined in the interior decoration through a range of high-craft artistic products. A research that involves across the world of art, design, literature and tradition that translates into furniture, chandeliers and design works. The influences are a lot: a sophisticated Parisian interior from the 1700s, the sinuous figures of an art nouveau window, the refined stage clothes of an actress of the 1800s, a medieval or samurai suit...Category
2010s Italian Baroque Revival Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass, Copper