Jules Wabbes, Belgian cabinetmaker of Mobilier Universel

Jules Wabbes (1919-1974) is one of the greatest signatures of 20th-century Belgian design. Self-taught, he opened his own manufactory, Mobilier Universel in Brussels, in 1957 and developed there for two decades furniture where traditional cabinetmaking met international modernist rigour. His tables and desks in wenge or rosewood, with profiled copper bases, equipped the offices of major Belgian institutions, including the Banque Lambert. His armchair and sofa in leather and patinated bronze remain his most coveted pieces on the European vintage market.