Paris – On October 3, Christie’s has the privilege of presenting an exceptional private furniture collection containing works from the leading designers of the Modern Movement dating back to the 1930s.

At the heart of this selection are some twenty works from the collection of the Maharajah of Indore commissioned for his Manik Bagh palace (1930-1933) and beautifully assembled in the early 2000s by a passionate collector. Half of these pieces were presented at the Modern Maharajah exhibition organised at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris (September 26 2019 – January 12 2020).

A true masterpiece designed by the German architect Eckart Muthesius for Yeshwant Rao II Holkar (1908 -1961), Maharajah of Indore, Manik Bagh has left its imprint on the history of the Decorative Arts by illustrating the visionary personality of a sovereign enamored with modernity.

Throughout this section, we are invited to discover creations that are as sophisticated as they are revolutionary, including impressive works by Eckart Muthesius (1904-1989) himself, notably the iconic pair of armchairs from the library, upholstered in red faux leather, as well as others by Michel Dufet (1888-1985), Ivan Da Silva Bruhns (1881-1980) and Djo-Bourgeois (1898-1937), all of whom used innovative forms and materials to create works of art. There is also the alpaca sculptural floor lamp by Eckart Muthesisus, and the majestic Maharani’s master bedroom psyche mirror in duralumin and glass, the result of a collaboration between Louis Sognot and Charlotte Alix.

The collection is enhanced by other extraordinary pieces, among which collectors will have the opportunity to acquire the personal desk designed by of one of the greatest French interior decorators of his time, described as the Riesener of the 20th century, Émile- Jacques Ruhlmann (1879 - 1933). Made from Makassar ebony, this masterpiece represents the high point of the artist's career, brilliantly combining chrome and exotic wood, a perfect example of his functional, technical yet aesthetic evolutionary style in the wake of the Modern movement. This outstanding group captures the effervescence of the Decorative Arts in the aftermath of the 1925 exhibition, as it navigated between an Art Deco style capable of reinventing itself and the avant-garde Modern Movement.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

PARIS EXHIBITION: from September 27 to October 3, 2023
9 Avenue Matignon 75008 Paris