ARMCHAIR

Inscribed JEAN DUNAND and MADE IN FRANCE
Lacquered wood, partially-painted metal, original upholstery and later silk upholstery
31 3/8 in. (79.7 cm) high

The first documented appearance of this chair model was in the Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, which was on display alongside the major pavilions during the Exposition des Arts Décoratif et Industriels Modernes held in Paris in 1925. Produced by the Salon Société des Artistes Décorateurs and funded by the Ministry of Beaux-Arts, the twenty five room exhibition was intended as a display of a fully furnished modern home for an ambassador, which showcased the work of the notable designers and artists of the period, such as Pierre Chareau, Marie Laurencin, André Groult, Edgar Brandt and Raoul Dufy. Jean Dunand designed a modernistic smoking room for this theoretical residence, which featured various bold red, black and silvered lacquered designs. The chairs and accompanying tables with asymmetrical geometric motifs dominated the central area of this dramatically conceived space.
Dunand continued to use this chair design with modified decoration in various private commissions, including the salon of Madame J. Henri Labourdette-Debacker. Chairs of similar design also appeared in Dunand’s display at the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow, Queens, New York. The chairs were accompanied by a large scale lacquer panel and smaller dinanderie works.
As it is marked MADE IN FRANCE, the current lot was probably a private commission intended for export as the stamp was a requirement for all artwork leaving France after 1928. The example offered here can be traced back to the 1950s, where it was in the collection of gentleman residing on military base in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The chair has remained in a private Canadian collection since the 1970s. Detailed analysis has shown that a later glossy black paint has been added in areas, but the rest of the lacquer work dates to the period. A later silk covering has been added over the original upholstery, which remains intact. The original partially-painted metal ashtray is a trademark element of this dynamic design.
Featured in significant exhibitions, this chair design exemplifies the bold geometric lacquer furniture of Jean Dunand. Similar examples are currently in the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Sotheby's would like to thank Félix Marcilhac for his assistance in authenticating this lot.

Literature and References:
Gabriel Henriot, “Jean Dunand,” Mobilier et Décoration, February 1926, p. 35 and p. 42 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
"Jean Dunand," L'Art d'Aujourd'hui, 1927, pl. 17 (for a similar example in the home of Madame J. Henri Labourdette-Debacker)
Gardner Teall, “Screens and Furniture by Jean Dunand," Harper’s Bazaar, April 1928, p. 114 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
Jean Dunand, Jean Goulden, exh. cat., Galerie Luxembourg, 1973, pp.16-17 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925) and p. 50 (for similar examples, World’s Fair, New York, 1939)
Yvonne Brunhammer, Le Style 1925, Paris, 1975, p. 90 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
Yvonne Brunhammer, The Art Deco Style, New York, 1983, p. 174 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
Jean-Paul Bouillon, Art Deco: 1903-1940, Geneva, 1989, p. 185 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
Félix Marcilhac, Jean Dunand: His Life and Works, London, 1991, p. 69 (for a publicity leaflet, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925), p. 70 (for similar examples, Galerie Georges Petit, December 1925), p. 151 (for similar examples, World’s Fair, New York, 1939), fig. 475 (for a similar example in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Art) and figs. 1190-1192 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)
Charlotte Benton, Tim Benton and Ghislaine Wood, Art Deco 1910-1930, London, 2003, p. 76 (for similar examples, Pavillon d’une Ambassade Française, 1925)