ÉMILE-JACQUES RUHLMANN | "Dubly" Sideboard, Model No. 2055aNR

escutcheon plaque designed by Jan and Joël Martel

Commissioned directly from the artist by Léon Dubly, Paris, 1932
Thence by descent
Galerie Makassar, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2001

Le Décor D'Aujourd'hui, no. 2, December 1933
Florence Camard, Ruhlmann, Paris, 2009, p. 399 (for the model illustrated in the interior of Léon Dubly, Paris)

Overall in very good condition. The wood surfaces present with scattered very minor surface scratches and abrasions, and one very minor chip to veneer on the proper right side of the sideboard, consistent with age and gentle use. The interior top shelf of the middle cabinet presents with an area of scratches, not noticeable when cabinet doors are closed. The gilt bronze elements with scattered minute surface scratches and some very minor areas of tarnish, not visually distracting. The feet with some scuffing to the bronze and wood surfaces, only visible upon close inspection. One bronze "sabot" is slightly loose but stable and secured, consistent with age and gentle use. The gilt bronze plaque on the center of the sideboard was designed by famed artists Jan and Joël Martel, and it highlights the overall magnificence of this sculptural sideboard. Please note: each cabinet section with two adjustable shelves, and the work is sold with three keys.
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.

This lot is offered together with a copy of the original bill of sale from E. J. Ruhlmann Meublier, Paris.



Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann was fanatical in his devotion to the highest possible qualities of craftsmanship, which is visible in this extraordinarily refined “Dubly” Sideboard, the design of which was originally created for the interior of Léon Dubly in 1927. Ruhlmann’s insistence on only using complex veneers and inlay techniques in his designs led to a revival of a quality of craftsmanship virtually unseen in France since before the French Revolution. Ruhlmann loved to visit Versailles, and he may have drawn on the works he saw to form the present lot, which mixes exotic wood and finely worked metal inlay much like the furniture created by the royal ébénistes and bronze chasers during the eighteenth century. The feet of this sideboard are gilded in delicate bronze “sabots,” and they complement the gloriously sinuous gilt bronze detailing snaking up the edges of the case. When clients balked at the high cost of materials, Ruhlmann would remind them that “the Ancien Régime created its masterpieces by throwing money at them.” By pairing flawlessly classical technique with sumptuous material in this sideboard, Ruhlmann realized his vision of sumptuous furniture fit for royalty.