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Jules Leleu

French, 1883-1961

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.

Average Sold Price
$7,867
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Materials
Related Creators
Jules Leleu, Large Lacquered Walnut Cabinet, France, 1933
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Unique and important Art Deco four-door cabinet in walnut with lacquered doors and nickel-plated details. Lacquer work by Katsu Hamanaka (1895-1982)....
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Walnut, Lacquer

Set of 8 Jules Leleu French Art Deco Green Fabric Dining / Side Chairs
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
SET of 8 French Art Deco dining chairs with green upholstery and with scroll legs with gilt brass sabots. (JULES LELEU)(PRICED AS SET)
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Jules Leleu

Materials

Fabric, Upholstery, Wood

Art Deco Starburst Design Bookmatched Walnut Occasional Table by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
This stunning Art Deco Starburst Design Bookmatched Walnut Occasional Table by Jules Leleu originates from France, Circa 1930. A round topped beautifully proportioned occasional tabl...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Walnut

Single 'Double Torsade' Sconce Jules Leleu, France, Art Moderne, Ca. 1947
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
Gilded bronze two-light sconce composed of a round backplate issuing two candlearms in the shape of stylized intertwined ropes ending in shades. Signed and numbered on the reverse. L...
Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Bronze

Fine French Art Deco Bar by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jules Leleu (1883 - 1961) : A fine French Art Deco bar cabinet with palisander and metal marquetry, and brass mounted details. Interiors in sycamore, mirror and chrome. Inlaid plaque...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Jules Leleu

Materials

Brass, Chrome

Jules Leleu stool
By Jules Leleu
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Stool by Jules Leleu around 1960s Beautiful exemple of the artist with a modern touch yet still art deco style Original fabric
Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Wood

Jules Leleu stool
Jules Leleu stool
H 18.9 in W 22.45 in D 14.57 in
Elegant Pair of Jules and André Leleu Gilt-Bronze Double Torsade Sconces
By Jules Leleu
Located in Montreal, QC
Elegant pair of Jules and André Leleu gilt-bronze double torsade two-light sconces. Stamped: "Leleu Paris and Made in France P26658". Measures: Overall width: 12.5” with shades Overa...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Bronze

Important Bronze and Glass Chandelier by Jules Leleu
By Jules Leleu
Located in Montreal, QC
Patinated bronze and frosted glass modernist 12 arms chandelier by Jules Leleu. Provenance: Bernd Goeckler Antiques, Inc., New York France: circa 1945 Authenticated by Alexia Leleu o...
Category

1940s French Vintage Jules Leleu

Materials

Bronze

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Jules Leleu furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Jules Leleu furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jules Leleu furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Jules Leleu were created in the Art Deco style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Charles Dudouyt, André Arbus, and Jean Pascaud. Prices for Jules Leleu furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $890 and can go as high as $225,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $16,817.

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