Art Deco Vanity (coiffeuse) and Chair

A rare and refined Art Deco coiffeuse (dressing table) and matching side chair attributed to Maison Dominique, the celebrated Parisian ensemblier founded by André Domin and Marcel Genevrière. The desk top is of sweeping crescent form, concave on the sitter's side and convex on the outer edge, executed in blond sycamore veneer with a warm, even grain — a wood favoured by Dominique for its luminous, almost golden tone. The top is supported by two monumental curved side panels, each a single seamless arc descending from the tabletop edge to a flat platform foot, replacing conventional legs entirely and giving the piece a bold, sculptural presence.
The defining feature of this piece is a concealed vanity module integrated into the centre of the top: a flush-mounted panel that lifts and tilts to reveal an inset bevelled mirror framed in sycamore, with original gilt brass pivot hinges and a white fabric-lined interior compartment for toiletries and accessories. When closed, the surface is perfectly flush and seamless, presenting as a pure writing or dressing table — the transformation is entirely invisible, demonstrating the exceptional level of cabinetmaking that Maison Dominique consistently applied. A single discreet frieze drawer with no visible hardware runs beneath the top on the right side.
The companion chair features a distinctive open-backed design with a broad curved wooden surround in a darker stained wood, framing a rounded upholstered seat and back panel in cream leather, set on four elegantly tapered saber legs. The contrast between the pale sycamore of the desk and the darker stained frame of the chair — a deliberately considered tonal pairing — is characteristic of Dominique's integrated interior design approach, in which every element within a room was conceived as part of a coherent chromatic and material whole.

Maison Dominique (est. 1922)
Founded at 104 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, Maison Dominique quickly rose to become one of the most prestigious ensembliers of the French Art Deco movement, counted among the Groupe des Cinq alongside Pierre Chareau, Pierre Legrain, Jean Puiforcat, and Raymond Templier. Domin and Genevrière were awarded the suite Rouen on the ocean liner Normandie (1933), furnished the Élysée Palace, and supplied the Mobilier National. Their furniture is distinguished by the seamless integration of sculptural form and fine craftsmanship, using sycamore, Macassar ebony, amaranth, and shagreen with restrained bronze hardware