Art Deco - Design for the Modern Age

Art Deco furniture by the best and most fashionable, European designers was made from rare woods and veneers to the highest possible standards and so was affordable only by the wealthy.

There was much use of ebony, increasingly rare even as early as the 1920s, so often it was used as veneers. Lacquering was also used extensively on furniture of the period as was parchment, sharkskin and snakeskin, all used for decorative effect.

Other unusual materials used for furniture included forged iron and chrome-plated steel. Furniture made of steel, whilst exemplifying the modernist spirit of Art Deco, also brought down the cost so making it more affordable for the middle classes.

British furniture designers of the period, like Heal and Son and Gordon Russel, had their own less extravagant interpretation of Art Deco more suited to the British market. They used more familiar woods like limed oak, walnut and chestnut rather than the exotic woods seen in French design. Emphasis was on functionality and using decoration to enhance the natural beauty of the wood.

By the mid to end of the 1920s, the most extravagant furniture became less fashionable and there was more emphasis on streamlined geometric lines with form following functionality. Art Deco furniture has retained its popularity into the 21st century as the photograph above illustrates. It is in a recognisably Deco style but it is also modern and was photographed in 2005 in a hotel in Budapest.

Sixties Furniture, Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona Chairs Art Print
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Mies van der Rohe
Famous for his often repeated quotation, 'less is more' Mies van der Rohe' practised this in his work in both architecture and furniture design. His furniture retains the hand-finished detail of the most exclusive designs but it is made from steel and its form is simple and elegant with a machine made look.

One of his most famous pieces, the Barcelona Chair first shown in 1929, is still in production today. This chair's basic form is a distorted X with leather upholstered seat and back. It was only mass produced after the Second World War and so the pre-war examples are worth many times more than the later ones.

Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann
Ruhlmann, considered by some to be the greatest Art Deco furniture designer, exhibited at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the exhibition in Paris that gave Art Deco its name.

Ruhlmann was born into the furniture making business and began his career in his father's workshop. His furniture making techniques were flawless with joints that could barely be seen and his designs were simple and elegant. He held his first exhibition at the Salon d'Automne in 1913, by which time his reputation was growing. After the First World War he took over his father's company which was renamed Rulhmann et Laurent. He increased the company's scope by employing crafts people skilled in carpentry, upholstery, mirror grinding, veneering and inlaying.

The company never catered for the mass market. Its furniture was exclusive and distinguished by its elegance, long tapering legs and simple use of exotic materials. For all its elegance, the furniture was designed to be used and to be comfortable. Form and design served to enhance the use of the furniture.

Ruhlmann, Emile...
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Süe and Mare
In 1919 Louis Süe, an artist and architect, and André Mare, also an artist, formed the Compagnie des Arts Français to make French furniture without foreign influences. They aimed to provide not only furniture but, by the use of outside contractors, a whole range of furnishings.

Their furniture was heavier and more flamboyant than that of Ruhlmann. They used inlays and veneers to create dramatic designs, patterns and pictures on their furniture. Although they were much admired and influential, their technique was not as good and much of their furniture has not survived.

Wiener Werkstätte
The Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops) were established in 1903 in Austria, long before Art Deco was an established movement. Founded by architect, Josef Hoffman, it consisted of a group of innovative artists and craftspeople who were experimenting with new designs and materials. Within ten years of setting up, they had opened branches in a number of foreign cities including Berlin, Zurich and New York.

They based their work upon high standards of design and workmanship, rejecting all mass production. Their work shows ancient Egyptian and Cubist influences and they were also influenced by the Glasgow Four who included Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Deco Tea Art Print
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For many people, 1920s and 1930s pottery is synonymous with Art Deco and the names of Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper automatically spring to mind.

Whilst they are the most famous of the pottery designers, there were many others producing stunning work. Amongst these was Frank Lloyd Wright who produced distinctive geometric designs on fine porcelain for the Japanese company, Noritake, and the Viennese company, Goldscheider, whose finely-modelled ceramic statues of women are delightful. Other companies produced innovative and popular designs including Poole Pottery, Carlton and Shelley, all of which are highly collectable today.

Whilst René Lalique is the best-known of the Art Deco glass designers, there were many others, especially those who resurrected the popularity of pressed glass which had suffered a downturn during the early years of the 20th century. The characteristics of Art Deco glass are the geometric shapes, opalescence and the use of lacquer for decoration. The best designs have a free-flowing elegance of form.

Glass perfume bottles are amongst the most Art Deco objects for collectors. They are usually affordable and relatively easy to find.

Judging by Art Deco statues of the 1920s and 30s, the ideal woman was slim, with very long legs and arms and perfectly proportioned bodies. It's not enough that they are beautiful, they are talented athletes too as they are shown dancing, throwing a javelin, playing tennis or golf; they promise fun as well as beauty. They are usually made from bronze and ivory or a new substance, chryselephantine, made from a combination of the two, often silvered, gilded or painted.

Notable Art Deco Sculptors

* Ferdinand Preiss was one of the most famous of the Art Deco sculptors. Most of his sculptures are made from chryselephantine although there are a few made just from ivory. His figures are finely modelled and detailed and are usually dancers or sportswomen. The most desirable for collectors are those mounted on bases rather than dishes or ashtrays.
* Demetre Chiparus, another influential sculptor of the period, was born in Romania but worked in France. His sculptures were inspired by dancers, particularly those from the Ballet Russe, and his work shows a Central American influence (see picture on right).
* Joseph Lorenzl was one of the most prominent sculptors of the time. He worked in bronze, ivory and chryselephantine and his work was also produced in ceramics by the Goldscheider Company of Vienna (see above). His women were idealized and perfect and are usually nude.
* Clare-Jeanne-Roberte Colinet was notable at the time and is chiefly remembered for her series Dancers of the World. Precisely how many figures were in the series is not known as new ones are still being discovered. Like the other sculptors of the time she worked in ivory, bronze and chryselephantine.

Egyptian-Style Jewellery by Cartier, a Brooch and Earrings Giclee Print
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As Art Deco became fashionable, the changes in women's fashion were also changing. Out went long dresses and long hair, in came short skirts and a cropped cut.

With changes in hair and clothes, jewellery needed to change too. Short hair meant that women could wear long earrings, some reaching as low as the shoulders. The famous flapper shape, thin and flat chested, was complemented by long necklaces hanging down as far as or below the woman's natural waist.

The fashion for sleeveless dresses encouraged women to wear bracelets around wrists or the upper arm. This period also saw the rise in popularity of wristwatches for women. The use of brooches changed too. Formerly they had been reserved for evening wear, now they adorned coat collars, cloche hats, straps and belts.

Although traditional jewellery continued to be made, fashionable jewelley design changed dramatically. It drew on Modernist and Art Deco influences. The lines were clean and geometric and precious stones were combined with wood, plastic or base metal. Amongst other materials used were ebony, chrome, coral, bakelite and enamels, providing an enlarged palette of colours and textures.

Costume jewellery came into vogue during this period. Introduced by Coco Chanel, this was disposable jewellery, made to be worn only while it was fashionable.

Techniques changed too. Gems were cut into new shapes and were engraved. Platinum became popular as a setting because it is stronger than gold or silver allowing large stones to be set with fewer retaining teeth so displaying the jewels to greater advantage.

Some Leading Art Deco Jewellers

* René Lalique - he made beautiful but fragile glass jewellery, little survives.
* Cartier - during this period, designs show strong Egyptian and Oriental influences and use strongly contrasting coloured stones.
* Van Cleef & Arpels - used simple shapes to show off a profusion of precious stones. Their pieces can all be identified and dated by serial numbers.
* Gerard Sandoz - used pronounced Cubist designs with strongly contrasting primary colours and few precious stones but is well known for eggshell lacquer and niello work.
* Raymond Templier - famous for his very bold black and white geometric jewellery.