ERHEL - Gaston Rousseau & Jacques Lardin

Jacques Lardin and Gaston Rousseau were both former collaborators of Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann. Together, they founded the interior design firm ERHEL, a name derived from the phonetic rendering in French of the letters “R” and “L,” the initials of the two partners. Jacques Lardin was the younger brother of Pierre Lardin, also designer and famous for his exceptional verre églomisé mirrors. From the late 1930s through at least the end of the 1940s, Rousseau & Lardin produced furniture distinguished by superb craftsmanship and refined elegance—qualities inherited from their years working alongside the great Art Deco master. Erhel Décoration was located near the Champs-Élysées, 54 rue François 1 er, and attracted a wealthy clientele with sophisticated tastes. Some of their creations were produced in collaboration with the ceramist Jean Mayodon. Erhel also distributed the mirrors of Pierre Lardin as well as the creations of Dominique Lardin, his son. The Mobilier National commissioned several furniture sets from Erhel, including an elegant cherrywood table featuring the same design at the leg terminations as the present chairs.