Maison Desny was a powerhouse of avant-garde art deco modernist design, in spite of being in operation for only five years. Established in Paris in 1927 by M. Desnet and René Nauny, Maison Desny was part design firm, part ensemblier, designing luxury interiors for a discerning clientele. They collaborated with established artists and designers such as Jean-Michel Frank, Albe꧟rto and Diego Giacometti and Robert Mallet-Stevens in the design of avant-garde architectural spaces. Desny also created small-scale geometric items that today have come to represent the finest in machine age aesthetics, predominantly utilizing chromed and silvered metal and glass. Four prime examples of their work are offered as part of the Perelman Collection. Two are tabletop objects– a coffret designed in collaboration with Robert Mallet-Stevens, which displays a cubist form (lot 116), and the present lot, a highly geometric centerpiece coupe. Lighting had become an important element of the modernist interior, as a symbol of technological advances as well as an indispensable component of functionalism, both of which were central to modernist preoccupations. The articulating, adjustable lamps created by Desny are amongst the most quintessential lighting pieces of the era. The firm was outstanding in creating fixtures with integrated adjustable height and shade mechanisms, such as the desk lamp and floor lamps presented later in the sale (lot 16 and 117). Indicative of Desny’s distinct inter-war style, the present selection exemplifies the firm’s experimental artistic vision harmoniously married to machine-age functionality.