André Arbus, Medusa cabinet

André Arbus (1903-1969)

Sycamore cabinet
Circa 1940

Cabinet in varnished sycamore, adorned with a Vadim Androusov bronze.
The sleek body with its two panels opens onto a series of shelves.
The cabinet is topped with a moulded cornice, while the half-moon extension in the lower centre imparts rhythm to the overall design. The curve forming this lower edge is lined with a patinated bronze element which sets it off.
The piece stands on four conic legs rounded off with bronze blangles.
The central feature of the cabinet, concealing the keyhole, is a bronze sculpture depicting the face of the Medusa, complete with tangled serpents..

Height 180 cm (70 ¾ in) - Width 124 cm (48 3⁄4 in) - Depth 47 cm (18 1⁄2 in)

Literature:
- Archives André Arbus, Galerie Chastel-Maréchal
- Mobilier et décoration, October 1938, pp 358, for a similar design
- André Arbus, Architecte décorateur des années 40, by Yvonne Brunhammer, Editions Norma, Paris, 2003, pp 42, 174 for similar models, pp 65 for the same bronze by Androusov.