Lot Essay
cf. Christie's New York, December 13, 1986, lot 645 for an example of a palisandre and gilt wood table with similar maiden's hair fern foliage, by Ruhlmann for Francois Ducharne's l'Hotel Ducharne, Paris.
In 1929, Ruhlmann created an exquisite interior for the house of the fur merchant Francois Ducharne, a prominent figure in the world of Haute Couture and a passionate collector of modern art and sculpture. Located in Auteuil, an exclusive area of Paris, the house was designed by Pierre Patout in the style of a Hotel Particulier, a showcase for Francois Ducharne's fine collection of art. Ruhlmann created a very elegant and exclusive interior with sometimes whimsical reminders of his patron's trade. The coffee table offered for sale, with its elegant fern motif carvings, features a small, finely carved mink, sleeping on the central column.
In 1929, Ruhlmann created an exquisite interior for the house of the fur merchant Francois Ducharne, a prominent figure in the world of Haute Couture and a passionate collector of modern art and sculpture. Located in Auteuil, an exclusive area of Paris, the house was designed by Pierre Patout in the style of a Hotel Particulier, a showcase for Francois Ducharne's fine collection of art. Ruhlmann created a very elegant and exclusive interior with sometimes whimsical reminders of his patron's trade. The coffee table offered for sale, with its elegant fern motif carvings, features a small, finely carved mink, sleeping on the central column.