Chest of drawers by Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq for Jules Degorr

1960s. France. Rosewood and metal. 112cm high, 120cm wide, 45cm deep. Antoine Philippon (1930–1995) and Jacqueline Lecoq (b. 1932) were French designers whose work contributed significantly to the evolution of modern furniture in postwar France. Both trained at leading design schools—Philippon at the École Boulle and Lecoq at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs—and met while working in the studio of Marcel Gascoin. They established their own practice in Paris in 1956. Strongly influenced by the ideals of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM), Philippon and Lecoq developed a body of work marked by simplicity, structural clarity, and refined use of materials such as glass, metal, lacquer, and exotic woods. They sought to create furniture suited to modern living, designed both for aesthetic quality and for serial production. Their work was exhibited at major events including the Brussels World’s Fair of 1958—where they won a grand prize—and the Montreal World’s Fair in 1967. They were regular exhibitors at the Salon des Arts Ménagers and Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, with Philippon serving as president of the latter between 1970 and 1972.