Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879-1923) is the most noted furniture designer of the twentieth century. Distinctly and almost exclusively Art Deco with occasional traces of Art Nouveau as, for instance, in the cabinet below with the flower motif inlay; otherwise all design elements are abstract. His early work was heavier, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement but he gradually moved away from that as he developed his own lighter style. He is also noted for the use of exotic woods: his two favourites were macassar ebony and amboyna burl, but he also used rosewood and oak. For accents, inlays and bases he used materials like ivory, leather and brass. He also designed rugs and lighting fixtures; one of his rugs can be seen in the L'exposition Moderne Maharajah below.
I saw a couple of his pieces at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) in Toronto many years ago.
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| L'exposition Moderne Maharajah (Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris) |
Many of his works can be seen at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.
Since 1988 Pollaro Custom Furniture of New Jersey have been manufacturing copies of Ruhlmann furniture using his exact specifications.
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