Wardrobe from André Sornay, France, Mid-20th Century
View Similar Items
Wardrobe from André Sornay, France, Mid-20th Century
About the Item
- Creator:Andre Sornay (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 64.97 in (165 cm)Width: 71.26 in (181 cm)Depth: 21.26 in (54 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Greding, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU101424914283
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.
- Cherrywood Wardrobe, Late 18th CenturyLocated in Greding, DETwo-door cabinet of cherry wood with filling fields, bevelled corners and fluted pilasters with pipe decoration. The corners of the panels are decorated with dark patinated discs. Th...Category
Antique Late 18th Century Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsCherry
- Armchair, France, Mid-20th CenturyLocated in Greding, DEArmchair with ebonized frame and newly upholstered seat and backrest in grey velvet.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsVelvet
- Desk, Probably France, Mid-20th CenturyLocated in Greding, DEDesk, standing on three cylindrical chromed metal legs with a rectangular tabletop out of opaque glass.Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Large Biedermeier-Style Wardrobe in Ash and Cherry, Dated 1884Located in Greding, DELarge two-door wardrobe in ash and cherry with fillet band inlays and ebonised columns. The cornice with accentuated pediment and ebonised segmental elements is inscribed: Elise Freu...Category
Antique 1880s German Biedermeier Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsAsh, Cherry
- Torso, Mid-20th CenturyLocated in Greding, DEHandmade torso from Pietra di Vicenza, Mid-20th Century, with beautiful patina.Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
$1,483 - Multifunctional Table, Mid-20th CenturyLocated in Greding, DECoffee table with oval table top and conical legs and x-shaped brace. By extending the table top and inserting a center piece (black), it can be converted into a dining table. Dimens...Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- French Provençal Wardrobe 20th Century OriginalBy Art de FranceLocated in Madrid, ESTitle: French Provençal wardrobe Date/Period: XX century Dimension: 153cm x 97cm x 33cm. Materials: Wood, painted Additional information: beginning of the 20th century (1900-1930) al...Category
Early 20th Century French Country Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsFruitwood
$1,670 Sale Price20% Off - 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
- Great French Double Body Wardrobe 20th CenturyBy Europa AntiquesLocated in Madrid, ESGreat French Double Body Wardrobe 20th Century white wood color Height: 230cm 177cm x 38cm Very good condition double bodyCategory
20th Century French Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsWood
$2,197 Sale Price20% Off - 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
- Early 20th Century Art Deco Woden WardrobeLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaEarly 20th century Art Deco woden wardrobe, by unknwon manufacturer from France. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with...Category
Early 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsWood
$16,260 Sale Price20% Off - 20th Century Vintage Goyard Wardrobe Trunk French circa 1930-1935By GoyardLocated in London, GBA 20th century vintage Goyard wardrobe trunk , circa 1930-1935. This piece of beautiful luggage is signed through out. The hardware especially the lock...Category
Vintage 1930s French Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsLeather