Eugene Schoen

Overall in very good condition. Some surfaces of the cabinet have been sensitively restored. The top of the cabinet with only very minor scratches and some small nicks to the edges. With minor white areas which appear the result of the application of the secondary finish. These are minor and along the wood graining. The bottom edges with minor surface scratches. The shelving elements to the proper right and left are slightly asymmetrically designed. The back of the piece is unfinished and therefore the cabinet is intended for use against the wall. The central compartment reveals a single shelf, which retains its original shelf pegs. With key.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Eugene Schoen was one of a pioneering group of German and Austrian designers in the 1920s to bring modern design to America.  Unlike his contemporaries Paul Frankl, Kem Weber and Gilbert Rohde, who concentrated on design for mass production, Schoen was one of the few designers devoted to the European tradition of custom-made pieces for specific interiors and clients. A meticulous perfectionist with every detail, Schoen was the only American modern designer of the 1920s and 1930s producing pieces comparable in quality, finesse and sophistication of his European contemporaries.  Schoen’s desire to have his designs executed by the finest cabinetmakers made him exclusively a designer for the affluent. The cabinetmaker he chose to execute most of his designs was the New York firm of Schmeig, Hungate & Kotzian, who also executed several commissions for Donald Deskey.  In 1929, the Philadelphia Museum of Art purchased a buffet Schoen had recently completed, calling it “the finest example of cabinetmaking that this country has produced.”