Provenance
Madame Parachini, France, 1958
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2009
Literature
Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean Royère, Paris, 2017, p. 250 for a similar example
Catalogue Essay
The present work is documented in the Jean Royère papers held by the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris in the Parachini ensemble file as well as in the meuble d'appui file as tracing plan no. 7.077.

For the present illuminated bar designed for Madame Parachini in 1958, Jean Royère covered the surfaces in straw marquetry, a fascinating technique that had been in use since at least the seventeenth century, but was most popular in France and Britain around the turn of the nineteenth century. The technique involves splitting and pressing down pieces of straw—usually rye—onto sheets of paper that were then adhered to the surface of an object. The individual stalks could be dyed any number of colors, allowing for complex patterns and pictorial scenes to be “painted” in straw.

Though originally used for smaller objects such as workboxes and tea chests, in the 1920s Art Deco designers rediscovered the technique and began to cover entire pieces of furniture and even walls with straw marquetry, most often undyed and in simple radiating patterns. The designers surely admired the golden, light-reflective qualities of natural straw. The material is also remarkably durable, the grass containing a natural layer of protective silica.

Working several decades later in a more playful, organic style than his Art Deco predecessors, Royère reintroduced color to straw marquetry. For a number of pieces he dyed the straw black, such as the “Flaque” table (sold at Phillips, New York, “Design,” June 6, 2018, lot 14). For Madame Parachini’s bar, Royère scattered colorful straw étoiles (stars) across the surface.

Royère made five other straw marquetry-covered cabinets, recorded as meuble d’appui in the papers held by the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, in the late 1950s. For Madame Parachini’s bar, Royère specified “meuble paillé sur les 4 faces” (straw on all four sides) for it was intended to be used as a room divider. Indeed, Royère’s drawing for the Parachini ensemble shows the bar situated between a seating and dining area, serving as an elegant transition piece for this carefully-considered interior.
Artist Biography
Jean Royère
French • 1902 - 1981
Jean Royère took on the mantle of the great artistes décorateurs of 1940s France and ran with it into the second half of the twentieth century. Often perceived as outside of the modernist trajectory ascribed to twentieth-century design, Royère was nonetheless informed by and enormously influential to his peers. Having opened a store in Paris in 1943 before the war had ended, he was one of the first to promote a new way of life through interior decoration, and his lively approach found an international audience early on in his career.

In addition to commissions in Europe and South America, Royère had a strong business in the Middle East where he famously designed homes for the Shah of Iran, King Farouk of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan. The surrealist humor and artist's thoughtful restraint that he brought to his furniture designs continue to draw admiration to this day.
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3

Jean Royère

"Étoile" double-sided illuminated bar, from the Parachini residence, France

1958
Straw marquetry-covered wood, glass, brass.
37 1/2 x 71 x 13 7/8 in. (95.3 x 180.3 x 35.2 cm)

Estimate
$120,000 - 180,000

Contact Specialist
DesignNewYork@phillips.com
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Design Evening

New York Auction 13 December 2018

1
Line Vautrin
"Sequins" mirror
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $72,500
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2
Line Vautrin
Unique "Satellite Orange" mirror
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $125,000
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3
Jean Royère
"Étoile" double-sided illuminated bar, from the Parachini residence, France
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
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4
Jean-Michel Frank
Table lamp
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
Sold for $175,000
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5
Jean-Michel Frank
Large "Block" table lamp
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000
Sold for $68,750
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6
Jean-Michel Frank
Large "X" table lamp
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000
Sold for $40,000
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7
This lot is no longer available.
8
Alberto Giacometti and Jean-Michel Frank
"Bird," mounted on box
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
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9
Jean Royère
Rare wingback armchair
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
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10
Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Rare table lamp
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $18,750
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11
Carlo Mollino
Unique pair of wall-mounted bedside tables from Casa Orengo, Turin
Estimate $150,000 - 250,000
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12
Gio Ponti
Large covered vase
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
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13
Gio Ponti
Illuminated "Parete Organizzata"
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $87,500
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14
Hans J. Wegner
"Peacock" easy chair, model no. JH521
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $68,750
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15
Hans J. Wegner
"Roman" armchair
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $33,750
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16
Eugene Schoen
Important table from the Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) Roxy Theatre at Rockefeller Center, New York
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $75,000
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17
Luis Barragán
Pair of stools from the Cuadra San Cristóbal, Mexico City
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $30,000
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18
Ron Arad
"Blo Void 4"
Estimate $70,000 - 90,000
Sold for $81,250
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19
Scott Burton
Pair of "Perforated Metal Chairs"
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $68,750
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20
Wendell Castle
Unique and important "Environment for Contemplation"
Estimate $250,000 - 350,000
Sold for $312,500
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21
Wendell Castle
Unique "Chaise Rocker"
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
Sold for $325,000
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22
Wendell Castle
Unique "In God We Trust" chair
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $75,000
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23
Jun Kaneko
Untitled
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
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24
Harry Bertoia
Monumental "Sonambient" sounding sculpture
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
Sold for $125,000
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25
This lot is no longer available.
26
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Exceptional and monumental mantel clock case
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
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27
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Massive mendiculus aquatic bird jar and cover
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
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28
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Sir Edward George Clarke QC caricatured as a tall distinguished fantastical bird jar and cover
Estimate $150,000 - 250,000
Sold for $175,000
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29
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Colossal and extraordinary grotesque grinning crab
Estimate $250,000 - 350,000
Sold for $275,000
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Design Evening

New York Auction 13 December 2018

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Provenance

Literature

Catalogue Essay

Artist Biography

Jean Royère

3

Jean Royère

"Étoile" double-sided illuminated bar, from the Parachini residence, France

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