Paul Iribe

Henriette Roggers and Claude Farrère collection, Paris (most probably)

Acquired from the above by the present owner's great parents

Private collection, France

Illustrator, caricaturist and newspaper editor, Paul Iribe established himself in the 1910s as one of the key players in the revival of the decorative arts in France.

By 1912, he was working with a number of prestigious clients: Jacques Doucet entrusted him with the decoration of his Paris apartment, while Paul Poiret, Jeanne Lanvin and Robert de Rothschild were among his clients.

Our pedestal table and several pieces of furniture by Paul Follot would have been acquired by the current owner's grandparents when they moved in the mid-1920s to the flat previously occupied by Claude Farrère and Henriette Roggers at 32 rue des vignes in Paris's 16th arrondissement. 

With its generous curves, subtle contrasts between amaranth, ebony and blackened wood, and trimmings inspired by passementerie, our piece embodies Iribe's elegant, inventive style. Its inverted bell-shaped silhouette is reminiscent of a lemon planter from the Farrère collection exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1937.

Paul Iribe made only a few pieces of furniture, but each one testifies to remarkable craftsmanship. An advocate of exceptional craftsmanship, he will remain one of the great names in French decorative arts of the early 20th century.