Art deco furniture.

Emile Jacques Ruhlmann was one of the most innovative and talented designers of the art deco period. He created furniture that is greatly admired for its excellent craftsmanship and distinctive look, attained through the use of sumptuous and exotic woods such as macassar ebony, amboyna, American burl walnut, and rosewood punctuated by contrasting materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or bronze. Even in his own day, Ruhlmann's furniture was extremely expensive.

Ruhlmann had joined his father's paint contracting firm in 1900, and at his father's death in 1907, the company passed into his hands. After World War I, with the assistance of his partner Pierre Laurent, Ruhlmann expanded the company to include interior design work and all its affiliated branches: furniture, lighting, textiles, carpets, and wallpaper design. The company existed in this form until just after Ruhlmann's death in 1933. Few of his interiors remain, and his furniture today is widely sought after. A large exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City entitled Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco ...