Maria Pergay's impossibly chic designs changed the way the world viewed stainless steel.

Oct 21, 2024

Meet Maria Pergay, the woman whose impossibly chic designs changed the way the world viewed stainless steel.

Maria Pergay (1930-2023) in Morocco.

“That is my best marriage,” joked Maria Pergay about her decades-long relationship with stainless steel in a 2010 interview with this writer, published in the New York Times. “Everybody is scared of stainless steel, but we have a link — there is something deep inside between me and stainless steel. This material which looks so strong, hard, and cold is sweet and not sharp, and it matches with everything.” Pergay was 79 years old at the time and about to introduce a new collection at Demisch Danant gallery.

Flash forward 14 years and the gallery is about to unveil ‘Precious Strength | Maria Pergay Across the Decades,’ their sixth exhibition of the late designer’s work (Pergay died last year at the age of 93) on October 24th. Almost three dozen pieces will displayed – from her iconic Flying sofa and Ring chair to an assortment of seating, tables, cabinetry, and accessories — a selection described by the gallery as “a comprehensive collection of Pergay's most emblematic pieces, presented together for the very first time and many of which have not been displayed for close to two decades.”

Daybed, 1970

Suzanne Demisch noted, “this exhibition is not a retrospective; it is a celebration of her enduring influence and a testament to her timeless design philosophy." One could argue that It is also a celebration of Demisch and her partner Stéphane Danant’s tireless resolve in tracking down the somewhat elusive designer whose work they first encountered in the late 1990s. They enlisted a friend to call every single Pergay listed in France’s “Les Pages Jaunes” phone book until reaching a relative who connected them with Maria. Their first meeting with her was in 2004; the duo has spent the decades since championing her works.

Ribbon Pouf, Steel, 2007

A glance through the offerings leads one to wonder how this woman, who was awarded the prestigious Légion d’honneur for her contribution to the decorative arts in France, remained under the radar for so long. Born in Romania to Russian parents, she was just six years old when she immigrated to France with her mother, to escape the Soviets. She later studied costume and set design at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cintematographiques (IDHEC) and became known for her fantastical, theatrical window displays.

Silver Tassel Cigarette Cases, Trays and Champagne Bucket, Pergay’s showroom at 2 Place des Vosges, Paris, 1960.

In the 1950s she debuted a collection of silver decorative accessories, including letter openers, trays, and champagne buckets. It became so successful that Hermès, Christian Dior, Helena Rubenstein, Cristóbal Balenciaga and others asked her to create pieces for them. In 1960 she opened a shop, selling a mixture of her designs and antiques – on the Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris. She was 30 years old at the time, and thanks in no small part to her boutique in a then-seedy neighborhood, her life dramatically changed on several levels.

First, she was tapped by Maison Jansen, a very globally renowned interior design firm, to work on the Carthage palace of the president of Tunisia, followed by a commission in Persepolis for the Shah of Iran. In the 1970s and 80s Pergay was hired to design multiple residences for members of the Saudi royal family, and lived and worked in the country for many years. “I was truly the only woman around. But they had confidence in me, and they were not wrong,” she recalled of the experience in Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design, penned by Suzanne Demisch in 2006. These were followed by projects in Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon for various government officials and dignitaries.

Ring Chair, 1968. The idea of the chair came to Pergay while peeling an orange.

And second, she discovered and began working in stainless steel. The first piece she designed was the now famed Flying Carpet daybed, followed by the Ring chair (both 1967-68). Her pieces were shown in exhibitions where they were discovered by both the press and the stylish set, most notably the fashion designer Pierre Cardin. Soon she was bringing semi-precious stones, tortoiseshell and other exotic materials into play with the more decidedly industrial stainless steel. And she was doing this while balancing the aforementioned interior design work in the middle east. It is worth noting that, according to the gallery, Pergay had no “formal training particular to design, nor outside support, [she] pursued her creative instincts working relatively alone.”

Drape Cabinet, 2005. Stainless steel, ebony macassar, palm wood

Pergay stopped producing work in the 1990s, but by the time she met Demisch and Danant in 2004, she told her she was “pregnant with ideas” and two years later she exhibited new works at their New York City gallery. It was her first show in thirty years. That work, and the work produced since, now falls under the category of “new productions.” A few models are still produced; most editions sold out, and others can no longer be made as the workshops are closed.

Three-tiered Table, 1968. Stainless steel, copper.

There is still a very healthy interest in her designs, as witnessed by strong sales of Pergay pieces on the secondary market. Her Flying Carpet daybed sold at Christie’s last year for $163,800 (estimate: $70-$100,000 USD); earlier this year a Ring chair sold for 81,900 Euros versus an estimated $15,000-$20,000 Euros, also at Christie’s.

Deer lamp, 1965. Silver plated bronze.

When asked to sum up Pergay’s legacy, Demisch replied, “To me, her legacy is the indelible mark she left - not only on our lives and on the trajectory of our gallery, but also on the world of design on a global scale. She had a profound impact on the evolution of late-20th-century furniture and redefined what furniture could be.”

‘Precious Strength | Maria Pergay Across the Decades,’ is on view from October 24th – November 30th at Demisch Danant, 30 West 12th Street, New York, NY; 212-989-5750.

Two books offer much more information and a wealth of pictures: Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design and Maria Pergay: Complete Works 1957-2010

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