Lahalle et Levard side table/small cabinet with marquetry drawers

Lahalle et Levard side table/small cabinet with marquetry drawers (#1547)
Early Classic French Art Deco side table/small cabinet by Lahalle et Levard, circa 1920. 19.5” wide x 12” deep x 26” high, in purple heart, boxwood, other exotic hardwoods, mother-of-pearl, with chrysophase mounted bronze drawer pulls. Identical marquetry front and back; meant to be seen from all sides. The two end panels drop down to reveal small storage areas. Two of the three drawers have built-in dividers. The third is a single open space. The marquetry is as complete as a painting and the drawer pulls are like pieces of jewelry. Signed twice on underside of cabinet.

Not much of Lahalle et Levard’s work is published, although a fine 1920 article in Art et Decoration does them justice. Lahalle was trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Levard at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs, both in Paris. They share an aesthetic sensibility with Maurice Dufrene and were part of the early 20th century's search for design modernity while continuing to honor the traditions of the past.