Paul and Lucie Cavrois, Croix Galerie 54, Paris Private collection Christie’s, New York, "Important 20th Century Decorative Arts," December 9, 2003, lot 176 Acquired from the above by the present owner
Catalogue Essay
Although the Villa Cavrois was originally designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens between 1929 and 1932, the architect Pierre Barbe re-configured the house between 1947 and 1959 following its occupation by German troops during World War II. Barbe’s interventions took several forms: he carried out restorations to the building; restored and in some cases significantly altered furniture designed by Mallet-Stevens for the villa; and he added new furnishings which departed, aesthetically, from the pre-existing designs by Mallet-Stevens. The present coat hanger falls into this third category, as documented in the Archives Pierre Barbe held by the Institut Français d’Architecture.