Attributed to Maurice Dufrêne

Attributed to MURICE DUFRÊNE (Paris, 1876 – Nogent-sur-Marne, 1955).
Extendable dining table, c. 1930.
Mahogany and amboyna veneer.
Measurements: 78 x 150 x 121 cm (closed); 78 x 320 x 121 cm (open).
This dining table, attributed to Maurice Dufrêne, elegantly encapsulates the aesthetic principles that defined the finest French design of the interwar period. Its solid mahogany frame, enhanced by a superb amboyna burl veneer, reveals exceptional mastery of cabinetmaking, while the octagonal tabletop, framed by a carved frieze of stylized plant motifs, and the imposing base with volute-topped legs demonstrate the perfect union of architecture, ornamentation, and functionality.
Maurice Dufrêne was one of the most prominent designers and decorators of the first half of the 20th century and a key figure in the consolidation of French Art Deco. Trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, he began his career at Julius Meier-Graefe’s La Maison Moderne and, in 1904, became a founding member of the Société des Artistes Décorateurs, through which he promoted the renewal of the French decorative arts. In 1921, he was appointed artistic director of La Maîtrise, the prestigious design workshop of Galeries Lafayette, where he created some of Art Deco’s most iconic decorative ensembles, including the famous installation for the pavilion at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. At the same time, he collaborated with major manufacturers such as Christofle and taught at the École Boulle.