Side Chair “Ombelle” by Émile Gallé

Gallé first designed the Ombelle chairs to great critical acclaim at the 1900 Exposition Universelle. The chairs were inspired by the umbellifer family. The species in this family, including the Giant Hogweed and poison hemlock, were favored by Art Nouveau artists for its simultaneous beauty and toxicity, a natural incarnation of the femme fatale archetype. Flowers, like the giant hogweed, were one of great significance to the Art Nouveau masters, symbolizing regrowth, rebirth, and regeneration, and so, even though they can technically classified as a weed, flowers like these were honored with a beautiful place of privilege in many a masterpiece during the Art Nouveau period. Over the next four years, he continued refining the original design. This particular version was created for the living room of Belgian engineer Édouard Hannon’s Brussels mansion, with the original design drawing housed in the Musée d’Orsay. The backrest features the silhouette of the Ombelle flower, with two delicate stems extending to connect with the seat. A symmetrical frieze of Ombelle flowers encircles the seat, which is finished with rattan caning on top.