Jean Dunand
1877 – 1942
Jean Dunand was a Swiss-born French sculptor, dinandier (metalsmith), and master lacquerer, considered one of the greatest creators of the Art Deco period. Initially renowned for his exceptional metalwork, he revolutionized European decorative arts by adopting and modernizing traditional Asian lacquer techniques. Famous for his unprecedented use of crushed eggshell and his monumental decorations, notably for the ocean liner “Normandie”, his work embodies the pinnacle of interwar luxury and refinement.
Biography
Trained at the School of Industrial Arts in Geneva, he moved to Paris in 1897. Initially a sculptor, he quickly turned to “dinanderie” (hammered metalwork), creating vases and objects in copper, brass, or nickel silver, which he enhanced with complex patinas.
In 1912, his meeting with the Japanese master Seizo Sugawara (who also trained Eileen Gray) marked a decisive turning point. Dunand learned the closely guarded secrets of traditional lacquer, which he brilliantly applied to his metal vases, and later to furniture and massive folding screens.
To achieve a pure, striking white that contrasted with black or red lacquer, Dunand innovated by inlaying tiny shards of crushed chicken or duck eggshells. This infinitely meticulous technique became his signature and perfectly suited the geometric and cubist aesthetic of Art Deco.
Leading a vast Parisian workshop, he collaborated with the greatest designers of his time (such as Ruhlmann). The climax of his career came in 1935 when he created the monumental lacquered panels for the smoking room of the legendary ocean liner “Normandie”, an absolute masterpiece of French decorative art.
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