Napoleon Le Grand Attributed Amsterdam School Cabinet in Macassar Ebony, 1920s

This important Amsterdam School cabinet was produced in the Netherlands in the late 1920s and is attributed to Napoleon Le Grand and his firm Het Modelhuis. The cabinet formed part of a bespoke dining room suite together with a matching table and chairs, one of the chairs bearing a signature corresponding to Le Grand. The present cabinet was conceived as part of a fully custom interior commission and is believed to be a unique piece. As was typical of the finest Dutch decorative arts production of the period, furniture was often created specifically for a particular interior rather than produced in series.

Executed in both solid and veneered richly figured Macassar ebony, the cabinet shows exceptional craftsmanship and attention to composition. The facade is defined by a strong rhythm of vertical forms, with subtly scalloped and faceted detailing repeated throughout the design. These motifs return in the shaped upper rail, the framing of the outer doors, and the sculptural door handles. The mirrored Macassar veneer is particularly well executed, creating a bold graphic contrast across the surface while retaining a refined and balanced appearance.

The piece is in very good, restored condition with only minor signs of age and previous use.

Napoleon Le Grand was an Amsterdam-based designer and interior decorator active during the first decades of the twentieth century. Through his firm Het Modelhuis on the Keizersgracht, Le Grand realized a number of important bespoke interiors and luxury furnishing commissions, including projects for the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg and the Groote Club on Dam Square. The firm was later continued by his sons Simon and Henri Le Grand, both trained in their father’s workshop.