World traveler, polyglot and avant-garde visionary Jean Royère (1902–81) is one of the biggest names in French mid-century design. He was fascinated by different materials, such as raffia and zebrawood, and aesthetics from around the world, from Scandinavian modernism to the traditions of the Middle East. Owing to this venturesome spirit, Royère produced an eclectic body of work that truly doesn’t fit a singular style. One light fixture might have organic shapes reminiscent of Art Nouveau, while a table would be crafted with minimalist straw marquetry.
Born in Paris, Royère studied classics at Cambridge University and then worked for an import-export company. In 1931, he switched gears to design, studying cabinetmaking in the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and furniture making under the tutelage of Pierre Gouffé. He made his debut in interior design in 1934 when he won a design contest for the brasserie in the Hotel Carlton on the Champs-Élysées.
Royère’s most famous piece of furniture was his biomorphic Boule sofa, sometimes playfully called the Ours Polaire, or Polar Bear. Designed for his mother in 1947, the curved sofa with its fuzzy white velvet shocked the French interior design world when it was displayed at the Art et Industrie exhibition, but it proved enduringly popular with customers, such as the Shah of Iran, who purchased several for his daughter. Royère would continue to design furniture and interiors for an elite clientele, including the kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Royère retired in 1972, then moved to the United States in 1980. After he died a year later, his archives were given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His works continue to be highly coveted — Kanye West, for instance, once tweeted that the Polar Bear sofa is his favorite piece of furniture. In 2016, Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris opened a retrospective of his distinctive designs, from the plush 1943 Eléphanteau chair to the 1963 Tour Eiffel table with its elegant metal supports.
Find vintage Jean Royère tables, storage cabinets and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
$6,800 / set
H 20.5 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Roger Thibier French Gilded Iron Two Tier Side or End Tables, France, Circa 1970
By Roger Thibier
Located in Chicago, IL
Roger Thibier French gilded wrought iron two level side or end tables with Neo classical feet. The total height is 20.5" H and the bottom shelf is 6" f...
Iron
$2,450 / set
H 24 in W 11.5 in D 8.8 in
Mid-20th Century French Pair of Gold-Plated Mahogany Side Tables
Located in Stockbridge, GA
This Mid-Modern French Pair of Side Table are made of chrome covered with a thin layer of gold. They are signed "Richard Creation, French Manufacture, Metal thin Gold, Clean only ...
Gold Plate, Chrome
Brass side tables attrib Maison Baguès 1970s France
By Maison Baguès
Located in Den Haag, NL
Beautiful Two tier side tables . Brass, comes with Smoked Glass tops 1970s France . Very nice quality tables .
Brass
Pair of French Gilded Iron Corner Tables
Located in New York, NY
Pair of French gilded iron corner tables. Two-tiered glass tops.
Iron
Pair of French Midcentury Gilt Iron Side Tables, Maison Ramsay
By Maison Ramsay
Located in New York, NY
An Elegant Pair of French Midcentury style side or end tables in the Modern Neoclassical spirit. The tables are hand hammered and gilt in wrought iron with feature delicate turned in sabots in the Egyptian taste, a style popularized by Maison Ramsay. Literature: Similar pair of Maison Ramsay side tables sold at Sotheby's New York, Important 20th Century Design / Masterworks of French Design, December 17, 2014, Price: $22,500 including buyers premium.
Wrought Iron
$24,800 / set
H 20.75 in W 28.75 in D 12.5 in
pair of French Turn of the Century Silvered Bronze side tables
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A unique and most striking pair of French Turn of the Century Silvered Bronze side tables, attributed to Maison Jansen. Each most elegant table is raised by four circular tapered flu...
Silver Plate
$2,175 / set
H 23.63 in W 15.36 in D 19.69 in
Gold 23 Karat G Side Tables Belgo Chrome, Mid Century Modern
Located in Waasmunster, BE
A striking pair of Mid-Century Modern side tables by Belgo Chrome, distinguished by their sculptural silhouette and opulent 23-karat gold finish. These iconic Belgian designs embody ...
Metal, Gold Plate
$16,870 / set
H 22 in W 20 in D 16 in
Pair of French Midcentury Modern Neoclassic Gilt Iron Side Tables, Maison Ramsay
By Maison Ramsay
Located in New York, NY
A pair of French midcentury style side or end tables in the modern neoclassical spirit. The tables are in gilt handwrought iron with delicate turned in sabots in the Egyptian taste. Literature: Similar pair sold at Sotheby's New York, Important 20th Century Design / Masterworks of French Design, December 17, 2014, Price: $22,500 including buyers premium.
Wrought Iron
Pair of French brass side tables, mid-20th C.
By Maison Jansen
Located in Charlottesville, VA
Pair of French brass side tables, in the manner of Maison Jansen, 20th c., each having inset bevel-edge marble top, over acrylic medial shelf, on ribbed supports, 18.5"h, 13.25"w, 13...
Marble, Brass
Nice Pair of Italian Bagues Manner Gilt Bronze Side Tables
Located in Dallas, TX
The product is a pair of Italian Maison Bagues Manner gilt bronze side tables. The tables are crafted with intricate gilt bronze detailing ad reverse painted glass, showcasing elegan...
Bronze
