Rare Cabinet Sets New Record for André Groult

A fierce bidding battle broke out for André Groult's exceptional shagreen cabinet, part of his celebrated Chambre de Madame ensemble from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. The cabinet set a new auction record for Groult, achieving $1.7M The cabinet formed part of one of the most celebrated interiors of the 1925 exhibition, its green-dyed shagreen cut into geometric panels over a mahogany structure built to withstand the material's natural shrinkage. Contemporary critics praised the "sinuous lines" of Groult's shagreen furniture, "devoid of angles and straight lines" — and in this cabinet, that synthesis of craftsmanship and restraint is fully realized.