On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Art Deco, Galerie Guelfucci presents a landmark exhibition dedicated to Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879–1933), one of the most celebrated creators of this iconic period in the history of design.

 

The exhibition, designed by Julian Eide, feature fifty works selected from the gallery’s collection of eighty-seven pieces, including an exceptional ensemble of furniture, lighting, carpets, tapestries, and rare lacquer objects — a medium Ruhlmann explored only on rare occasions.

This important exhibition highlights the designer through unique and rare pieces, including a 'Lassalle' chest of drawers, of which only six examples of the model are known. One example in Macassar ebony is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Chow in 1983–84. The gallery presents the only known example in the particular Kingwood species. Preserved in a private collection since its acquisition in 1954, this exceptional piece is being exhibited for the first time.

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Among the rare and iconic works on view is a “Lorcia” table, one of the very few unique pieces created by Ruhlmann, as well as a “Cla Cla” table in Macassar ebony, circa 1923, with an exceptional provenance. A mahogany model of this table is housed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where it is recognized as one of Ruhlmann’s most emblematic designs.

 

Several important seating models will also be presented, including a magnificent chaise longue from 1916, the only known example to date.

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Bringing together fifty creations by Ruhlmann, this exhibition — opening in Paris just days before the great 1925 exhibition at MAD Paris — represents the culmination of fifteen years of research and acquisitions by Laurent Guelfucci.

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