If there is a piece of furniture synonymous with Jean Royère, it is undoubtedly the Boule sofa. Also commonly referred to as Polar Bear, this clean and organic design work was created by Royère when his career was in full swing. Today, Jean Royère's furniture is particularly sought after, the Boule sofas being among the most popular. The chaise longue, which will be presented by Briscadieu Bordeaux during an event sale on Tuesday, June 6, is all the more remarkable because it is based on the Polar Bear model. According to extensive research carried out by the Parisian expert Emmanuel Eyraud, it is the only example of its kind, which makes it a truly incredible object.
Its story is atypical to say the least: this chaise longue was specially designed by Jean Royère in November 1956 (about ten years after the Polar Bear sofa) for a client, MF Malgat, who wanted to furnish the office-library of his Parisian apartment. The sofa has been carefully preserved within the descendants of the initial commissioner, until today. Many were unaware of its existence, and it is thanks to the Jean Royère Fund of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris that this piece could be identified with precision, adding a magnificent design to Jean Royère's oeuvre.
It is not just a reinterpretation of the Boule sofa. This "Malgat sofa", as named by its creator, has been cut off at the end of one of its armrests and redesigned to perfectly match the interior of Malgat's apartment. The result is elegant and refined, reminiscent of the organic forms observed in nature that characterize Royère's creations. Standing on its four cylindrical cherry wood legs, the chaise longue invites you to relax and unwind.
Undeniably a beautiful object, we must remember the cultural and artistic significance of the furniture itself. This sofa is further testimony to the talent of Jean Royère, a famous artist-decorator of the 20th century.
Born in 1902 into a wealthy family, it was only at the age of 29 that he began to learn craftsmanship. Royère's career was therefore prolific, so it is impossible to mention all his accomplishments. But he created the furniture for the nursing school in Suresnes, the furniture for the working-class city of Aplemont and was commissioned by the International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques in Paris in 1937. After having worked for Pierre Gouffé, a renowned craftsman from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, he set up on his own in 1942 and later opened various agencies in the Middle East, where several royals hired him for his services, among them King Hussein of Jordan and the Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Royère participated in a number of exhibitions and fairs such as the Salon des artistes décorateurs, while responding to orders from individuals and public organizations, with the development of the new Senate in Iran being one of his greatest feats. Finally, a panoply of biomorphic furniture emblematic of the time are signed by his hand, the Liane, Champignon, Trèfle, Ondulation, and the famous Boule sofas, to name but a few.
The Malgat daybed is part of a rich history, being the only example of its kind designed by Jean Royère, one of the greatest French decorators of the 20th century. This beautiful single-lot sale organized by Briscadieu Bordeaux with the support of the expertise firm Emmanuel Eyraud (27 rue St Dominique, 75007 Paris), which will be held on June 6, will allow connoisseurs and new collectors alike to admire for the first times this treasure that had been unseen for several decades.
Find all the information relating to the sale on the Briscadieu Bordeaux website.