A designer and ensemblier, Jules Leleu was one of the key authors of the Art Deco movement. While he did not win the fame of such contemporaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank, Leleu had a longer career and was easily their peer in the conception of trim, refined furniture forms and in the use of the opulent materials — from lacquer and ivory to sharkskin and exotic woods — that were a keynote of haute Art Deco design.
Leleu was born into a family of artisans and decorators. Their firm, Maison Leleu, had existed since the 18th century and Jules would guide it through much of the 20th. (The business lasted until 1973, headed at the end by Jules's children.) He studied architecture, served as an aviator in World War I, and after the conflict took up design full-time.
Leleu presented work at the 1925 exposition in Paris that gave us the term Art Deco, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased a burl amboyna wood commode by Leleu directly from the show.
As the desks, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs show, Leleu was a stickler for precision craft and preferred to let his materials do the talking — his furniture is generally spare and sleek; its presence is established by figuring (or patterning/graining) in the wood and the occasional marquetry medallion. He had a keen eye for currents in design and an adaptable sensibility.
Maison Leleu would embrace many of the starker forms of modernism after the 1940s, as well as new materials such as artificial lacquer and plastics (then considered cutting-edge rather than cheap). Jules Leleu is a guiding light of 20th-century modernism: a man whose work represents both a devotion to traditional handiwork and an appreciation for the next wave in design.
Find Jules Leleu tables, sideboards, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Jules Leleu mahogany cabinet nickeled metal 1930
By Jules Leleu
Located in Paris, IDF
This very fine Art Deco cabinet was created in the 1930s by Jules Leleu, with flamed mahogany veneer and a nickeled metal base, and bears the workshop stamp. The piece perfectly illu...
Metal
Michel Lefevre veneer marquetry cabinet bar chest 1960
By Michel Lefevre
Located in Paris, IDF
This wood marquetry and brass cabinet bar is a unique piece signed by Michel Lefèvre, crafted in the late 1960s. The main chest structure is made of sharp shaped solid wood. Its vene...
Brass
French Art Deco rosewood and brass sewing cabinet 1940s
Located in Paris, IDF
Beautiful Art Deco sewing cabinet fully covered with rosewood veneer dates from the early 1940, and features two drawers and a storage lifting ...
Rosewood
ISA Bergamo Italian Rosewood and Brass Commode, 1950s
By ISA Bergamo
Located in Paris, IDF
This rare chest of drawers produced by ISA Bergamo in Italy in the 1950s imparts a cosy, chic and glowing mood to a space. The warm rosewood remains looking beautiful and smooth seve...
Brass
Art Deco Amboyna Burl Wood Commode Attr. Maurice Dufrène 1940s
By Maurice Dufrêne
Located in Paris, IDF
This beautiful 1940s Art Deco chest of drawers attributed to Maurice Dufrène imparts a cosy, glowing mood to any space. The warm amboyna burl wood remains looking healthy and smooth some eighty years later. Gilded carved feet and solid brass handles adorn the front of the commode, and one of the signatures of Maurice Dufrène during his lead at La Maîtrise. This commode feels delightfully modern for the period and charmingly vintage now...
Brass, Gold Leaf
Paul Iribe attr. amboyna burl cabinet secretary desk circa 1920
By Paul Iribe
Located in Paris, IDF
Magnificent cabinet attributed to Paul Iribe, created in the 1920s, powerfully illustrating the artist’s singular vocabulary at the crossroads of the decorative arts, drawing, and il...
Wood
Jules Leleu, Art Deco Walnut Cabinet, France, C. 1944
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Fine walnut four-door cabinet by Jules Leleu with bronze medallion by Champreix For an illustration of an identical cabinet, see Mobilier et Décoration, no. 5. December 1946. F...
Bronze
Fine Art Deco Mahogany Cabinet, attributed to Jules Leleu, circa 1925
By Jules Leleu
Located in Roma, IT
Important Art Déco cabinet, attributed to Jules Leleu, realized between 1925 and 1930. Executed in mahogany veneer with subtle figuring and a warm, satin finish, the cabinet showcas...
Mahogany, Ivory
Beautiful Mahogany Cabinet by Jules Leleu
Located in Montreal, QC
Elegant mahogany cabinet by Jules Leleu, beautifully fitted with gilt bronze mounts designed by Debarre and Perret, the central cameo featuring a representation of " The Birth of V...
Bronze
Art Deco Cabinet by Jules Leleu, Rosewood & Bronze, France, 1939
By Jules Leleu
Located in Miami, FL
This cabinet is made from Rosewood, a luxurious and durable wood that is often used in high-end furniture. The cabinet features sleek lines with interiors in Sycamore Wood and a pair...
Bronze
Art Deco Cabinet by Jean Desnos, Polished Rosewood, France, Circa 1940
By Jean Desnos
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brown, vintage Art Deco French cabinet made of handcrafted polished Rosewood, designed by Jean Desnos and produced by Rambaudi-Dantoine in good condition. The cupboard is com...
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Veneered Art Deco cabinet - Sweden, 1930s
Located in London, GB
This lavishly veneered Art Deco cabinet features four doors and inner shelves and sits atop lion-shaped feet. Its intricate geometric marquetry and contrasting veneer finish are real...
Birch, Oak
