PARIS.- A rare desk by French designer Jean Royère, discovered last summer in the depths of a cellar and believed to be the only recorded example of its kind, will take center stage at an upcoming twentieth-century decorative arts auction organized by Gros & Delettrez in Paris. Created in 1951, the remarkable "Œuf" desk has emerged from decades of obscurity with its original blue velvet upholstery, floral textile backing and metal identification plaque still intact. Estimated at €30,000 to €50,000, the rediscovery offers collectors an opportunity to acquire an exceptionally unusual example of Royère's inventive approach to modern furniture.
The desk was initially identified by specialists at the auction house through a photograph taken in the dim light of the cellar where it had been stored. Despite the poor visibility, its distinctive design immediately attracted attention. Subsequent examination confirmed the presence of the original Jean Royère metal plaque on the reverse, together with a floral fabric designed by Paule Marrot, providing important evidence of its origins.
Measuring 77.5 centimeters high, 112 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters deep, the desk combines a blue velvet-covered wooden body with an oak base. Its rounded forms reflect the playful organic vocabulary that made Royère one of the most distinctive figures in postwar French decorative arts.
The piece comes from the same collection as a rare high-back "Œuf" seating ensemble that Gros & Delettrez sold in June for €312,000, including fees. That earlier result has added considerable interest to the newly discovered desk, whose apparent uniqueness distinguishes it from other known examples of the designer's celebrated furniture series.
The survival of its original upholstery is particularly significant. The floral textile covering the back was designed by Paule Marrot (1902–1987), an influential French textile artist who received a gold medal at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Her designs became closely associated with Royère's furniture, particularly several models from the "Œuf" series. Marrot's influence extended beyond France, with Jacqueline Kennedy famously incorporating her "Les Tulipes" textile design into an interior scheme.
Born in Paris in 1902, Royère entered the furniture industry relatively late, training in the cabinetmaking workshops of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine before assuming responsibility for contemporary furniture at Pierre Gouffé in 1934. He opened his own Parisian design agency in 1942 and subsequently expanded his international activities, establishing offices in Cairo in 1946 and Beirut in 1947.
His clientele eventually included some of the most prominent figures in the Middle East, among them King Farouk of Egypt and the Shah of Iran. Throughout his career, Royère developed a highly individual style characterized by sculptural silhouettes, unexpected proportions and a willingness to challenge the conventions of functional furniture.
Three additional Royère lots will accompany the desk in the sale, illustrating the range of his artistic vocabulary.
Among them is a pair of "Éléphanteaux" armchairs, dating from around 1960, estimated at €150,000 to €250,000. The model originated in a design first presented at the 1939 Salon des Artistes Décorateurs and helped establish several characteristics associated with Royère's mature style, including high winged backs, rounded armrests and tapered legs. The examples offered in the auction feature beige velvet upholstery over wooden frames.
Another pair, the "Trèfle" armchairs, was designed around 1950 and is estimated at €20,000 to €30,000. Made from stained oak with distinctive detached armrests and yellow velvet upholstery, the model became one of Royère's most widely reproduced designs in the decorative arts press during the 1950s.
Completing the group is a set of four "Croisillons" chairs, dating from approximately 1949, with an estimate of €10,000 to €15,000. Upholstered in ochre velvet and constructed from stained oak, the chairs come from a private collection in Cairo, where Royère maintained an important professional presence. A similar model was produced by the designer in 1949 for the French Cultural Center in the Egyptian capital.
Beyond Royère, the auction brings together works by several major figures in twentieth-century decorative arts, including Eugène Printz, Jean-Michel Frank, Guidette Carbonell and Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann.
One of the most noteworthy additional lots is a two-tier circular occasional table by Eugène Printz (1889–1948), created around 1934 and estimated at €40,000 to €60,000. The table features palm-wood veneer, four curved supports and brass feet, reflecting the sophisticated materials and refined construction techniques for which Printz became known.
Its importance extends beyond its design. According to Gros & Delettrez, the table is the exact example illustrated in the 1986 catalogue raisonné compiled by Guy Bujon and Jean-Jacques Dutko, rather than merely another version of the same model. Having passed through the United States before returning to France, the piece was positively identified through its reproduction in that publication.
Printz, who trained in his father's cabinetmaking workshop in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, developed an international reputation for furniture combining exceptional craftsmanship with luxurious materials. Palm-wood veneer became one of his signatures, lending his designs a distinctive visual texture and richness.
The sale also includes three lots by Jean-Michel Frank (1895–1941), whose restrained geometric furniture helped define a more austere direction in modern luxury. Frank worked for clients including Marie-Laure de Noailles and Nelson Rockefeller, producing interiors that contrasted sharply with the ornamental excesses of earlier decorative traditions.
Two pairs of his cubic armchairs, based on a model created around 1925, are included. One pair, finished in black lacquered wood with cream upholstery and bearing the "CP" workshop mark, is estimated at €40,000 to €50,000. The other features stained wood.
An oak occasional table from around 1930, estimated at €25,000 to €35,000, completes the Frank group. Its angular U-shaped base and restrained proportions demonstrate the designer's ability to achieve elegance through simple architectural forms. The table bears both a "JM FRANK" stamp and the monogram of the Chanaux and Pelletier workshops, which manufactured furniture associated with the designer.
Another highlight is a rare white-glazed ceramic lamp base by Guidette Carbonell (1910–2008), dating from around 1947 and estimated at €25,000 to €35,000. Signed with the artist's initials, the 69-centimeter-high work features a sculptural motif that the auction house compares with Alberto Giacometti's plaster lamp "Deux Mains."
Carbonell occupies an important position in the history of twentieth-century ceramics. Initially trained as a painter, she embraced clay as a medium for artistic experimentation at a time when ceramics were still frequently regarded as subordinate to painting and sculpture.
Her work developed in dialogue with artists associated with the School of Paris, including Alfred Manessier, Roger Bissière, Jean Bazaine and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. Through these connections, Carbonell gradually developed an increasingly abstract visual language, exploring the relationships between form, color and material. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris recognized her contribution with a retrospective in 2007.
Gros & Delettrez will also present a selection of furniture by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann (1879–1933), one of the leading representatives of French Art Deco. The works, drawn from a private collection, include a dining table with eight chairs, a tripod occasional table, a games table and four "Patouillard" armchairs.
Together, the auction's offerings trace several contrasting directions in French decorative arts, from Ruhlmann's sophisticated Art Deco elegance to Frank's geometric minimalism, Printz's technical mastery and Royère's more expressive, sculptural approach.
The rediscovered "Œuf" desk nevertheless remains the central attraction. Its unusual provenance, surviving original materials and status as the only currently recorded example of the model give it a particular place within Royère's legacy.
For collectors and historians of modern design, the discovery also illustrates how important objects can remain hidden in private collections, emerging unexpectedly decades after their creation. What began as a barely visible piece of furniture photographed in a dark cellar has become one of the most intriguing highlights of the Paris autumn auction season.
The sale is announced for November 25, 2026, at Gros & Delettrez, 2 rue de Bérite, Paris, with a public exhibition scheduled to begin November 20. Bidding will be available in person, by telephone, through absentee bids and online platforms including Drouot Live, Interenchères and Invaluable.
