Important French Art Nouveau Bedroom Suite, 9 pieces
by Gauthier Poinsignon & Cie.
Exhibited at Le Salon d'Automne
Circa 1910, France 
School of Nancy

  

Crafted in solid, hand carved pale cherry wood.
 Maple leaves and figs are hand carved onto each piece.

  

 The organic design is remembered on the decorative cast bronze, gilded door
 and drawer hardware that adorns each cabinet piece.

  All original with the original French polished finish restored.
 This is a suite for the serious Art Nouveau collector,
 the strong design and fluid details have both masculine and feminine details.
This suite would also fit perfectly into an Arts & Crafts / Craftsman decor.

This suite celebrates it's 100th Birthday in the fall of 2010 !

Documented in Book : The Paris Salons 1895-1914
Volume III (3) :  Furniture by Alastair Duncan
pages 252-3   (Pictured below)

Art Nouveau Bedroom Suite by Gauthier - Poinsignon & Cie.
Exhibited at Le Salon d'Automne
Circa 1910, France 
School of Nancy

Please scroll down to see the bio on Gauthier - Poinsignon & Cie.
and information on the exhibition.

 We are very pleased to have the
opportunity to offer this important Museum quality suite to our clientele.

 
Art Nouveau Bedroom Suite, includes:

 -European Full Size Bed ( if you forgo using the side rails, you could use the
   head /Foot    board with an American Queen Size mattress/box spring.)
 -Left and right nightstands
 -Large 3 door armoire with center mirror
 -Vanity with mirror
 -Pair of chairs
 -Round cherry wood chandelier with frosted glass panel
 - A gold velvet wall tapestry with stenciled Maple Leaf pattern that hangs
   on a twisted decorative iron rod, supported by two carved cherry wood wall brackets.

Detail and Dimensions for each piece is listed below:

Art Nouveau Bed :
Complete with headboard, footboard, side rails and original screws.
Hand Carved Maple Leaf and Fig details carved on both headboard and footboard.
Arched top on center of headboard, remembers the arch on the top of the armoire.

Fluid Art Nouveau design is used to frame the entire bed, even the feet.

Although this Bed was made for a European Full Size mattress, you could use the head /
Foot board with an American Queen Size mattress/box spring and store away the side rails.

Bed Dimensions: Headboard: 58 7/8” wide, 58 1/8” high at center, 53 1/8” high at ends.
Footboard: 58 7/8” wide, 31 ¾” high at center, 32 1/8” high at ends.
Side rails: 78 ¾” long alone. 6 ¾” high alone.

Assembled dimensions; inside frame (where the mattress & box spring will be)
55 ¼” wide, 79” from head to foot. Side rails 11 ½” off the floor.
There is 16 ¾” from the floor to the edge of the finished edge of the headboard design.

 

Art Nouveau Pair of left and right nightstands:
Both nightstands feature the original neutral tan/ beige marble tops.
Skillfully hand carved Maple leaf and fig design with beautiful decorative bronze
hardware that repeats the organic carved theme.
Two graduating, tiered corner shelves above the marble tops.

The left nightstand is an open design with lower shelf and single drawer.

Right nightstand is an enclosed cabinet with the original porcelain chamber pot lining
and single drawer.

Dimensions: Left: 38 3/8” high to top shelf, 31 3/8” to the marble top, 16” wide, 15” deep.
Clearance between shelf and bottom of drawer: 20 3/8” high.

Right: 38 3/8” high to top shelf, 31 3/8” to the marble top, 16” wide, 15” deep.
Clearance between shelf and bottom of cabinet: 10 5/8” high.

Art Nouveau Vanity with adjustable mirror.
Lower drawers and left and right smaller, upper drawers.
No detail left unnoticed, even the bronze screws for the mirror
match the drawer pulls on the smaller drawers.
Vanity top has an inset area that would be perfect to place a protective glass top (optional).
This area measures: 12 3/8” deep, 33 ½” wide.

Dimensions: 56 ¾” high with mirror. 28 7/8” to top of vanity surface.
36 ¾” wide, 24” deep.
Knee space: 22 ½” high, 30 3/8” wide.
Interior of lower drawers: 19 ¼” from back to front. 13 3/8” wide, 3 ½” high.
Framed mirror: 21 5/8” high, 15 ¾” wide with frame. Frame is 1 ¼” wide.

Pair of Art Nouveau Side Chairs with repeated carved design of leaves and figs.
Fluid leg and frame design as all the pieces feature.
New Art Nouveau upholstery fabric now adorns the sets.
We have additional fabric available if you wish to purchase more for custom bedding, drapery or other seating.
See Fabric # ANF4

Dimensions: 37 ½” high back, 16” deep, 17 ¼” wide.
Seat: 17 ¾” high, 14 ¾” deep, 17” wide, tapering to 13” wide at back.

 

Art Nouveau Armoire.
Large and dramatic 3 door armoire that offers ample storage and the original beveled mirrored center door.
Note that the black & white period Exhibition photo shows this was also offered with all mirrored doors,
new mirrors could be added to the left and right doors if so desired.
Left and right doors repeat the hand carved Maple leaf and fig designs,
along with the arched top.
Fluid hand carved frame design and drawer fronts.
Gilded bronze drawer pulls and door pulls. Key locking doors and drawers.
The doors also have a tension style latch to keep the doors shut while unlocked.

The interior has a combination of adjustable shelves ( 3 in center, 4 on right side.)

And left side has 9 fixed pull out drawers with the original wood drawer stops.
The inside of the mirrored door has a pale golden birdseye finished wood panel.
We believe the mirror to be original and it is in wonderful condition,
showing only minor age.

Overall Armoire Dimensions: 77 1/8” wide, 21 ½” deep (plus hardware projects 1 ½”)
94” high at center, 87 ¾” high at ends.

Detailed dimensions:
-Mirrored Center door (only): 68 5/8” high, 31 7/8” wide.
-Inside center cabinet behind mirrored door: 18 3/8” deep, 33 7/8” wide, 69 ½” high behind door, plus the height behind the arched top adds up to 75 1/8” high
inside at the center.
-Side Doors: 18 7/8” wide, 68 7/8” high.
-Side (End) Cabinets with pull outs(left side)  or adjustable shelves (right side) 19 ¾” deep, 20 3/8” wide (opening 19” wide), 72” high.
-Lower Drawers, interior dimensions:
  bottom side drawers: 5 ¼” high, 17 ½” deep. 17 7/8” wide.
center drawer: 28 ¼” wide, 18 ¼” deep, 5 1/8” high.

Wall Tapestry:
Certainly the input of tapestry artist, Paul Poinsignon,
this suite includes the original tapestry and brackets, which were also exhibited at the Salon.
In the exposition, this was hung behind the bed, see the period photo below.
The exhibition bedroom also featured a painted leaf motif border at the ceiling.

Large golden velvet wall hanging, with embossed, stenciled Maple Leaves and figs
in shades of rust, gold, greens and beige.
Sewn onto large Patina brass rings that hang on a large twisted decorative iron rod with brass finials.
The rod is then suspended with large hand carve cherry wood wall brackets that match the bedroom suite.

Overall picture to be added-we have to actually mount this to a wall to photograph this properly.
In the meantime, please see the detail pictures here for photos of the wood brackets and a close-up of the velvet.
 

Dimensions: tapestry alone: 90” high, 5’ wide on hooks-however the rod is actually 88 ¼” long.
The wood brackets are 40” high overall, the part that attaches to the wall is 34 ¼” high.
14 1/8” projection at top, 1 ½” projection at bottom.

Chandelier: This chandelier came from the same house as the bedroom suite and matches,
therefore we are including it.
We are not 100% that it is from this suite-it may have been added or custom made
for the bedroom to match the suite.

Simple round chandelier in hand carved cherry wood,
with a round frosted glass disc in center.
Suspended from three brass chains. 3 sockets for European bulbs are intact.

Chandelier Photos and Dimensions: to be added soon.

Condition of the Bedroom Suite:
In excellent antique, original condition, with the original French polished finish restored.
This suite was obviously very well cared for over the last 100+ years.
As you would expect with wood furniture of this age, there have been a few minor touch ups over the years,
only noticeable upon VERY close inspection.
There is some minor splitting on the right nightstand cabinet door,
but this is not bothersome and is considered normal for a solid carved piece of this age.
Chair seats have been re-upholstered (November 2008).

Overall this bedroom suite / set is exceptional not only in design, but also in condition.

Item # ADFB85: Price: $ 69,000. 

purchase this item

Please scroll down to view detail photos.

Designer Bio & Exhibit Information :

About Gauthier & Poinsignon:
Camile Gauthier was born in Norry-les-Pont-à-Mousson, France in 1870.  In 1891 he finished his apprenticeship at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Nancy and proceeded onto the École des Arts Décoratifs of Paris. In 1894 he began work as an apprentice and designer for Louis Majorelle. Many of his piece were exhibited at the 1900 World's Fair. In 1901 he left Majorelle to pursue his own business. He became a member of the management team of the school of Nancy and joined forces with the tapestry designer, Paul Poinsignon, to create Gauthier Poinsignon & Cie. Poinsignon 's financial backing allowed Gauthier to set up their own shop, using new equipment and techniques. Having practical experience with Majorelle, they create a more modernized furniture shop, focused on the specific needs and requests from their clients, allowing them to serve more customers than the shops of Majorelle or Galle. As the styles progressed, the firm 's styles changed, also making fine French Art Deco furnishings in the 1920's and 30's. They continued to exhibit at all of the major exhibitions, including The Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925 (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts) where Art Deco was introduced to the world. Camile Gauthier lived until 1963, where he passed away in Montricourt.

The Salon d'Automne:
The first Salon d’Automne was held on October 31, 1903, at the Petit-Palais. The Salon d’Automne was established as an alternative to the conservative official Salon. Exhibit organizers chose autumn as the time of year for their shows because most other exhibits in Paris took place in the spring and summer. The venue was a significant force in the development of modern art in Europe. The Petit-Palais was built to house the First Exposition of the 20th Century, The Exposition Universelle of 1900, the world's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. The style that was universally present in the Exposition was Art Nouveau. It is home today to the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Paris).

Modern and Vintage Photos of the Petit-Palais, where the 1910 Le Salon d'Autome was held

Additional photos below:

Armoire

 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Bed

Each side shown below, with right and left nightstands:

   

   

   

   

Inside views of bed frame:

   

   

   

Nightstand - left

   

   

   

Nightstand - right

   

   

   

   

   

   

Vanity & Chairs

   

   

   

       

Chairs:

   

   

Wall Tapestry & Chandelier: Pics to be added shortly