Jean Royère 1902–1981
At the age of twenty-nine, Jean Royère left his comfortable position as a banker with a law degree to pursue his long-held passion for design. He immersed himself in the every aspect of the trade, studying cabinet making in the workshops of the Faubourg Saint Antoine in Paris and making furniture for family and friends in his spare time. In 1934 he took on his first important commission designing a new layout for the Brasserie Carlton on the Champs Elysée and he exhibited at the famed Salon d’Automne. In 1937, Royère exhibited his designs at the Société des Artistes Décorateurs officially launching his career as designer and he opened his own firm in 1943. Favoring strong lines and organic forms, Royère designed each piece of furniture to contribute to the overall interior, but his use of rich materials and luxurious forms made for designs that could also stand alone. His lush creations were favored by a variety of high profile clients across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. His agency in Cairo, opened in 1946, attracted wealthy and powerful patrons including King Farouk, King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran. While the aftershock of the war caused many consumers to desire an old-world aesthetic, Royère stayed true to his modern sensibilities and he continued to design works to suit elegant interiors. His long and celebrated career was marked with a major show at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1999, eighteen years after his death in 1981.
Auction Results Jean Royère
Rare floor lamp
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $191,000
Custom bar for Gaston Dutilleul, Paris
estimate: $100,000–150,000
result: $100,000
Bouquet sconces, pair
estimate: $80,000–100,000
result: $100,000
chair from l'Exposition Internationale of 1937
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $96,000
chairs, set of four
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $75,000
Oeuf Grande lounge chair
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $68,500
cabinet from the Majdalini Residence, Lebanon
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $67,300
mirror
estimate: $40,000–50,000
result: $66,000
Ski floor lamp
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $48,000
Créneaux nesting tables, set of three
estimate: $40,000–60,000
result: $47,500
Guitare coffee table
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $43,750
Tour Eiffel stools, pair
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $43,200
Ski floor lamp
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $38,400
coffee table
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $38,400
dining chairs, set of eight
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $37,500
lounge chairs, pair
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $35,560
candelabrum
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $34,800
firedog
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $34,220
cabinet
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $32,500
Herbier queen-size bed
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $30,000
sconces, pair
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $27,500
console from the Majdalini Residence, Lebanon
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $27,500
Yo-Yo stools
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $27,500
Sculpture dining table
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $26,400
