Rare Early French Art Deco Bergere
/ Occasional Chair with matching Ottoman
Paul Poiret, School of Martine
Circa 1912, France
Barrel style comfortable chair with a hand carved frame,
matching ottoman with raised sides.
The wood frame is a red Mahogany.
Hand carved double tassel design, turned leg design.
Bio:
Designed by Fashion Icon Paul Poiret, who was a fierce competitor of Coco
Chanel.
Poiret opened a design
studio for gifted young women,
called "Martine School", or Ecole / Atelier Martine, named after his
second daughter.
The school produced a variety of designs which are now considered very rare.
Poiret arranged for the
work of the Martines (as the participants in the Atelier were known)
to be shown at the Salon d'Automne in 1912, leading him to establish an
interior design business
under the name of L'Atelier Martine.
Advice was offered for the interior decoration of cafés, hotels, offices,
private houses.
The venture proved so successful that a London branch was opened in 1924.
The Atelier Martine also produced designs for the prestigious luxury liner
Île de France (1927)
on which many leading French designers collaborated.
At the Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels of 1925,
Poiret exhibited three barges moored on the Seine near the entrance,
entitled Amours, Délices, and Orgues that included hangings by Raoul Dufy
and room settings, furniture, and furnishings by the Atelier Martine.
Learn more here:
Paul Poiret Bio
Metropolitan Museum
Blog on the Exhibit
Met Exhibit Info
Review on
the Met Exhibit
Attributed and Pictured in the book " Art Deco Furniture" by Alastair
Duncan.
See illustration 159, below.
Also noted to have been illustrated in ' LeStyle 1925 '
by Yvonne Brunhammer on page 69.
Chair Dimensions: 33” wide, 32 ½” high, 30” deep.
Seat: 18 ½” high, 23 ½” deep, 21” wide.
Ottoman Dimensions: 32” wide, 24 ½” high on sides, 14 ½” high at center.
In
good condition, frame could use some touch ups.
Reupholstered a few years ago by the last owner and has a few ink stains,
we suggest replacing the fabric with something to suit your own decor.
The last owner also increased the cushion height of the ottoman,
to bring it closer to the seat height of the chair, can be kept at this
height,
or changed back when re-upholstering.
We are happy to restore and recover this in your choice of fabric for an
additional fee.
Item
# FADCC67: $ 18,500.
