Signed and dated, Casimir de Cypierre, 1829, this landscape inspired by Lake Lucerne in Switzerland measures 30.5 X 41 inches including its original and re-gilded frame.

Casimir Florimond Perrin de Cypierre, Marquis de Cypierre, (1783-1844) is first remembered as one of the greatest collectors of 18th century paintings. The 1845 Christie’s catalogue of his estate sale laments his passing as “a great loss for the French School, of which he saved so many precious works.” It is also interesting to note that Cypierre exposed at several Paris Salons, arguably the most important art event of the Western world between 1748 and 1890.

His collection, including his own works, was dispersed at his estate sale and the most important paintings can be found in national museums worldwide. The portrait of his Grandmother by Nattier, Portrait of a Lady, called the Marquise Perrin de Cypierre, passed through the hands of J. P. Morgan before landing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gallery 539.

Perhaps Cypierre’s own work below, Bathing on the Lakeshore, retains something of the man who spent his entire life in love with and in research of French painting, a trace of a life touched by the greats.

Cypierre was one of the rare French artists of his day to depict Switzerland through picturesque and sublime landscapes (often grandiose alpine scenes near Bern). In this case we see an example of the era’s Romantic neoclassicism, or a lake scene Cypierre turned into a nostalgic dream. It is unlikely that Roman ladies of leisure were bathing in Switzerland in 1829. His fantasy provides and ambiance of light and hope, albeit distant, and asks whether you wouldn’t rather be there.

The back of the canvas is stamped by the mark of the Ottoz firm, a family of color merchants most known for supplying the Barbizon and Impressionist painters.

Cypierre not only had a privileged experience of art, but of history as well. One of his ancestors was Governor to King Charles IX, and his grandfather and father were intendants to Kings Louis XV-XVI in Orléans. Quai Cypierre, a main thoroughfare there, is named after them. His family castle in southern Burgundy dates from the 12th century and his descendants operate a christmas tree farm there today.

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Jean-Christophe Fischer was a French cabinetmaker from the early nineteenth century. He had an established business in Paris from 1820 until his death in 1854. From this workshop, he fulfilled commissions from French King Louis-Phillipe and made various masterpieces which were exhibited at the Exposition de l’Industrie Française.

This desk corresponds with the article written in 1834 by engineer Stéphane Flachat; “A grand desk which transforms through some ingenious mechanism into an architect’s atelier (…) we were delighted to remark here, a new system which replaces that of a cylindrical desk. When one wants to write, one pulls the two knobs on the desk’s façade, extending a plateau and the parallel rosewood covering surface simultaneously retracts. The mechanism is as comfortable as it is ingenuous. (…) The general execution, of this piece of furniture, as in all works displayed by Mr. Fischer, is of exquisite perfection.”

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- L’Industrie, Exposition de 1834, Stéphane Flachat, 1834, L. Tenré, P. 88.

H: 37 in. L: 58 in. W: 28.75 in.

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In solid walnut, and decorated on all sides, this is a major work by the celebrated Italian carver, angelo barbetti (1803-1880). The piece is interestingly dated to 1851, the same year of the Great Exhibition in London at which the modern day Victoria & Albert Museum purchased works from Barbetti still in the museum today. The elaborate fall front of the desk presents a sculpted portrayal of king Priam offering a ransom for the body of his slain son, Hector, braving the anger of Achilles.

Finely carved winged acanthus monsters, with the heads of perhaps the prince’s beloved hounds, masterfully reveal the princely Troubetzkoy family’s arms from behind openworked strands of pearls.

Prince Paolo Petrovich Troubetzkoy (1866- 1938) was an artist and a sculptor who was described by George Bernard Shaw as “the most astonishing sculptor of modern times.” Prince Pyotr Petrovich Troubetzkoy (1822– 1892) was a Russian diplomat, administrator and general whose work in the 1860s took him to Florence where he met his wife. He fathered painter Pierre Troubetzkoy (1864- 1936) whose works are conserved in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Iden- tifying the arms only confirms one’s suspis- cions that this desk was the pride and joy of a mysterious 19th century Prince. The bull, the pheonix, the vytis (Lithuanian Knight), and the two griffons holding a crown are the symbols of this princely house of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They originate in the 14th century and later become prominent in Russian science, history, and arts.

Height: 69 inches. Length: 40 inches. Depth: 18 inches.

Works by this master carver, an intagliatore as his label within the gallery’s piece reads, notably adorn the eccentric interiors of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In London, the Victoria & Albert Museum conserves an impressive trace of Barbetti’s exhibit at the first World’s Fair. In America, much of his work, and that of his sons, is hidden by the private walls of neo-renaissance gilded-age interiors on the East Coast. His wonderfully executed and specially commissioned frames, are perhaps overshadowed by the renaissance period pictures they present, such as Bernardo Luini’s c. 1510s oil on panel; Madonna & Child with John the Baptist, in the National Gallery of Art. Barbetti’s work, while refined, is not exact reproduction, but rather a lively re-proposal which is now a memory of his time’s fantastic vision of the spectacular 16th century interior.

Angiolo/Angelo Barbetti was born in Siena in 1803 and he passed away in Florence in 1880. Ac- cording to a translation of the Benezit dictionnary entry for Barbetti : “settled in Florence after having lived and worked in Siena, where he had carved some interesting pieces, not least with respect to the restoration of the altar in the church of La Contrada della Tartuca, a commission he executed in col- laboration with Manetti. In Florence, he established a school for wood carving, among whose pupils were his own sons Raffaello and Rinaldo. As a contemporary of Spighi, Falcini and Rosani, Barbetti belongs to the group of artists who reintroduced into Italy the skills of woodcarving and marquetry. Barbetti also worked on the cathedral façades in Orvieto and Siena.”

According to the 1892 DeGubernatis dictionnary of living Italian artists, Barbetti provided commis- sions for Anatole Demidoff and other Russians, for the Rothchilds and other wealthy Europeans.His Siena workshop made interiors for some of the most prominent clients in Europe. Angiolo Barbetti’s main workshop was established after this 1851 desk was made, in 1863 when he purchased a circular skylit building which is located on the square of Il Prato in Florence. The structure was built in 1847 for the presentation of 360-degree panoramas of Italian cities, but it came to prominence as the site of Barbetti’s furniture production activities which made him famous in Italy and abroad. The building was subsequently used as a warehouse, and today it houses a restaurant and a horse agency. His sons were not without a certain renown, as Raffaello explored work with ivory, and was awarded medals at various exhibitions. Rinaldo, also a carver, left his most notable works in the form of several bas-reliefs in Nottingham college’s church, and the front door of the Russian church, San Donato, in Florence.

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An extraordinary suite comprised of one doored commode, one mirrored armoire, and an alcove bed in this rare and charming style dating back to the late 1820s.

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An important “roll-top” or technically a cylinder desk circa 1800, in the early Napoleonic empire style, aesthetically transitioning out of the late 18th century. The form is empire, being imposing and statuary, with squared and tapered feet which are bolder than the smaller cylindrical legs of the previous period.

The white marble top enclosed by a gilded bronze gallery is a vestige of the 18th century, but here the open-worked motif of lozenges has been updated to early 19th century tastes. The locking mechanisms are also lozenge in shape, or more specifically “diamond,” as these special locks were designed after the house of cards. The column of the special key is this a hollow diamond shape which fits perfectly into the keyhole. These mechanisms rendered such locks harder to pick while also adding layers of quality and subtle decorative value to the desk.

The desk is finished on all sides with large sections of mahogany veneer, showing how such pieces were originally placed away from the wall. The unusual and fine gilded bronze ornamentation seems to be an enhancement made a few decades after this desk was created. Originally, it would have had small fillets of brass inlaid around the keyholes, identical in color to the original brass hooves or sabots retained by the legs.

The inside of the desk features various secret compartments and the right hand exterior drawer contains a lock-box or safe.

Dimensions: Height: 50.5 Length 56 inches Depth: 30 inches

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An extraordinary daybed, or banquette, likely a meuble de commande specially ordered for a unique interior of the day. The negative side is designed for use up against the wall, possibly recessed into a small alcove, or at the foot of a large bed. The mahogany armrests terminate in richly sculpted scrolls, adorned with neoclassical foliage, which rest on lions paws (an unusual but attractive design from the restoration period seen on some chairs by the celebrated maker Jean-Jacques Werner). The original upholstery has been replaced and rebuilt with new horse hair and burlap, and the network of copper springs retied. The piece was recently recovered with a period correct silk from Prelle et Cie..

Length: 79 inches. Height: 25.25 inches. Depth: 31.5 inches.

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An eccentric mahogany and ebony inlaid trace of one of the most celebrated names in the early 19th century French decorative arts. The Bellangé workshop is most remembered for the time of the father, Pierre-Antoine (1757-1827), who delivered an extensive set of giltwood furniture to the White House in 1817.

Bellangé’s eldest son, Louis-Alexandre had taken over the company in 1825, and was given the title “Ebeniste du roi” in 1832 under Louis-Philippe. This is the signature so charmingly engraved on the lock of this doored commode (perhaps also viably interpreted today as a dining room piece - at the time it was no doubt for decor in a salon or for use in a bedroom). The younger Bellangé continued to fulfill, like his father, commissions for royal palaces, and he was distinguished at the exclusive precursors to the World’s Fairs; the expositions des produits de l’industrie française. This rare piece likely represents the workshop’s fine domestic production, reserved for a certain clientele, but more comfortable than some of the more elaborate works made for government spaces.

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Signed Trollope of Parliament Street, this very fine English table circa 1820-25, would have otherwise likely been attributed to Bullock. Trollope is mostly known for work from the second half of the 19th century, as they participated in the World’s Fairs and there is an 1867 table by them in the V&A Museum.

The museum reports that Trollope and Sons was one of the largest and most well known makers of luxury furniture in London during the reign of queen Victoria from 1837-1901. It seems interesting to have this piece which pre-dates the period for which this firm is most remembered. It was founded by Joseph Trollope in 1778, his son George would have been at the helm of the workshop during the 1820s when this table was made, and then in 1843 the firm became Trollope and Sons.

This is a particularly refined example of the iconic tilt-top of the day. Rare are models such as this in Birdseye maple, with fine and elaborate inlays of amaranth wood. The piece retains its original brass casters and latching mechanism.

Diameter: 47 inches. Height: 29 inches.

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This walnut chest of drawers, or commode table (a name which emphasizes a more decorative use in a reception room vs. a bedroom) is particularly graceful example of Louis XV period French regional work circa 1750. The region in question is southern France, known as le midi, but perhaps particularly the cities of Avignon, Aix en Provence, Toulouse, Marseille or Montpellier for this piece. It is first important to distinguish such publication or museum quality regional works from charming but simpler “country furniture.” The French language is careful with terms that categorize such fine pieces as that which exemplifies the height of the arts of a given region at a certain time. Although these works are technically “provincial” and not from the country’s capital, there is a sophistication to their design and a skill to their execution which is just as memorable as what one encounters among the more renowned and studied repertoire of Parisian decorative art.

This commode, although arguably as appealing as its Parisian counterparts from the same era, is made of solid indigenous wood rather than with exotic veneer (a hallmark of regional furniture). Instead of a marble top, it also features a warmer, solid wood surface. The gadrooned metal hardware, while particularly well attuned to the piece, is in brass rather than gilded bronze. The masterful sculpture, as on many great examples of regional furniture, notably of the bottom traverse here, rivals the aesthetics of what one might be used to collecting from Paris.

The piece appears to have endured only minor maintenance restorations, various rewaxings, and the replacement of small small nuts which fix the original handles into place. The roughly sawn and oxidized backs of the piece reveal only various faded train shipping labels from when this piece was moved. More importantly, the walnut top, made in two pieces, has not buckled with age and appears original to the chest.

Interestingly, the piece is signed inside with a hot iron stamp “GLV,” certainly the mark of a once sought after but now forgotten workshop which once fulfilled commissions for such unusually elegant pieces in the south of France. The brass or raw bronze hardware (hard to say what exact alloy was smelted) also bears various small stamps from what must have been a metallurgy guild, evocative of the famous and often apocryphe “crowned C” marks sometimes found on Parisian furniture hardware.

Height: 35.5 inches Length: 57 inches Depth: 25.25 inches

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This walnut armoire from the Périgord region was selected for its equivalence with the armoire Périgourdine in the Château de Montbazillac; classified a French Historic Monument. These types of armoires are often dated with ambiguous term “vers 1700,” in French, or around the year 1700. This is because the massive, rectilinear, architectural design, resting on bun feet, and with Louis XIV style panelling, belongs stylistically to the final quarter of the 17th century. This model, however, was made well into the first quarter of the 18th century. Both of these armoires, however, have fixed posts between the doors, a design element which disappears early on in the 18th century.

The side posts of the gallery’s armoire extend upwards into a remarkably molded cornice which is more elaborate, however. The sides of the Montbazillac armoire are decorated with diamond point panels whereas the gallery’s piece is decorated with panels that are identical to the doors. The bottom panel of doors on the chateau’s armoire are rectangular, and the bottom panels on the one here are a reflection of its upper panels.

These differences are the result of different makers possibly creating these emblematic models a decade apart. They also amount to the decor variability of custom ordered pieces at the time.

Many thanks to the administrator of the French period furninture reference site Meubliz.com for his commentary and expertise.

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Please see the description of the first piece of this set; “armoire.”

This second piece of the suite is a large and unique two-tiered buffet or china presentation cabinet in walnut and oak from Upper Normandy. This exceptional series of pieces, somehow still unseparated, was made by the same maker probably to fulfill a custom order. The doors of the buffet are sculpted with multipoint stars centered in panels which are framed by very eccentric and richly sculpted rippled moldings.

The top doors were planned such that when closed, two sculpted hearts appear stacked one atop the other around the heart-shaped key escutcheon. (These heart-shaped key escutcheons are one of several details which help attribute the origin of the set to upper Normandy).

Both the lower tier and the upper tier open by sophisticated trefoil locking mechanisms which are practically unheard of on regional pieces of this early a date of manufacture. The accolade beneath the upper tier, above the surface of the bottom tier, is in a Louis XIV style encountered primarily during the last half of the 17th century. This piece and this set as a whole being so without comparison, and with an overlapping of unusual period motifs occurring here, it is harder than usual to determine whether these pieces date from the 17th or early 18th century.

These pieces will not be sold separately.

H: 8 ft 10 inches. L: 5 ft 7 inches. D: 26 inches.

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This unusual set of pieces (wardrobe and two-tiered buffet) is a one of a kind example of custom furniture commissioned in upper Normandy circa 1700. It is exceedingly rare to find contiguous suites that have passed through centuries of inheritances unseparated. It is also surprising to find pieces of this degree of eccentricity. Both the armoire and the buffet defy all examples of such regional furniture published or conserved in Norman museums. Although several traits reveal their Norman origin, they are the result of a rarely seen level of customization making them complicated to date and place precisely.

The convex multipoint stars on each door are as eye catching as they are original. They are centered around quadrilobe motifs which are more typical to the period of around 1700. The heart shaped key escutcheons are a small detail which is, however, unique enough to the Manche region of upper Normandy.

Curiously, the sides of both pieces are decorated with a gothic style linenfold motif, which was employed in Normandy much later than in other regions. The overlapping of different period motifs makes dating these pieces precisely rather difficult (as is often the case with pieces produced far from the capital). It is safe to say that they predate the middle of the 18th century, but it is possible that they are from the final quarter of the 17th century. 1675-1750 seems like a wide spectrum but one that may be more specific than one could hope for pieces that are so without comparison.

It is perhaps the inner locking mechanisms and specialized keys which testify most to the overall quality of these pieces. Each cabinet opens by large trèfle locks with trefoil keys (the shape of a clover or a club hollowed down the column of the keys). Such locks and keys are typical of smaller high quality pieces typically of Parisian late 18th and early 19th century manufacture. Finding such large trefoil locks, having still conserved their unusually large keys, on relatively early rural pieces is exceptional.

There were several orders of King Louis XIV which used the 8 pointed star as its symbol. These smaller stars, perhaps Maltese crosses, appear alongside the carved hearts on both the armoire and the buffet à deux corps. This drives the logical supposition that such furniture was commissioned by a local nobleman, perhaps as was the tradition, for a wedding gift (hearts) for his soon to be married daughter.

These pieces will not be sold separately.

H: 7ft 10 inches. L: 61.5 inches. D: 29.5 inches.

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Four exceptional armchairs exhibiting the height of fine domestic furniture in Mahogany at the time. They are attributed to the Jeanselme family of master furniture makers. This firm opened in 1824 and later became one of the official suppliers to the Court of King Louis Philippe and Emperor Napoleon III. Works by Jeanselme are conserved in various cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

This is a particularly complete and sophisticated model of the time, with an unusual dexterity to the motifs and their execution. The style could be understood as “late empire,” Neoclassical like work of the early Napoleonic Empire, but less stark and more inspired by nature.

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An apparent pair of armchairs of Parisian manufacture circa 1750, upholstered in fine silk with a pattern chosen to match the tastes of the time. The backs are relatively high and the seat is wide, allowing for more space and comfort than is usual in chairs from this period. The armrests terminate and bend towards the seat in typical “whiplash” rococo curves.

Flowers were hand carved atop each cabriole leg, and the frames were sculpted with great finesse and precision, although slight variations of human craftsmanship are visible upon close inspection.

It is interesting to note that this pair was upholstered with great care in the 18th century fashion. Horse hair was used as padding and the underside of the seat was finished with a durable burlap webbing that leaves the inner frames exposed (where one can appreciate handsaw marks, and traces of a furniture maker’s stamp).

Finally, this contemporary fine silk designed to be period correct, is often seen on Louis XV period chairs in French museums (as seen in the third image).

H: 38in. W: 27.5in. D: 22in.

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A pair of small side chairs from the mid 18th century circa 1750-1760, upholstered with contemporary damask blue silk. They match a similar pair lacquered as well in white and blue displayed in the Louvre Museum next to the Commodes from the blue bedroom of the Chateau de Choisy.

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In solid walnut, this is a particularly compelling example of early 19th century neo-gothic work from the Louis-Philippe Period circa 1835. The four chairs are equivalent to the chair displayed in the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts representing this early Neo-gothic work which is distinguished in quality and rarity from the vast majority of this furniture (which dates to the late XIXth century). The dexterity of the sculpture, the design, and the family history surrounding the pieces, along with the original 1830s silk fabric retained by the pieces corroborates this rare early dating.

These pieces once adorned the main bedroom of industrialist Louis Falque’s Chateau des Aygalades overlooking the bay of Marseille. The property was destroyed by the construction of a highway in the 1950s, and the site was perhaps most known for Falque’s neighbor; the eccentric Compte de Castellane who was known for walking his greyhounds with rose tinted glasses. Newspaper articles from the 1830s corroborate the family legend that various artistic figures from the time visited the Chateau des Aygalades and thus used the grand bedroom for which these pieces were ordered (These names include celebrated pianist Frederic Chopin and his Girlfriend Georges Sand, and author Alexandre Dumas). It is a fact that they stayed at the house, and it certainly adds anecdotal charm to these pieces which are compelling enough from a historical and aesthetic perspective.

Currently, 60 yards of golden medieval ivy themed fabric is offered with the pieces to recreate curtains and recover the chairs (for the first time) in a period correct fashion that is in line with the original colors used. Finally, these exceptional pieces are on par with what was exhibited in Paris at the Petit Palais’s “Paris Romantique” exhibition in 2019. From published material, one might draw a further comparison between these pieces and not only the chair displayed in the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts, but the neo-gothic furniture ordered by Marie d’Orleans for the Tuileries during the late 1830s.

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The mirrored wardrobe, or armoire à glace, appears around the year 1800 although they are much more associated with the mid 19th century (by which time they have become a staple in domestic furnishings). The finest and most luxurious models were produced during the Charles X period, in either mottled maple or rosewood, such as this example here. These darker rosewood models generally appear after 1825 when the wood color scheme of the original Charles X style was inverted (moving from light maple with dark inlay to dark rosewood with light, typically lemonwood or holly wood inlay). Note how the inside of this piece is finished with mottled/birdseye maple as opposed to having been left “rough” as was customary on even the finest solid wood armoires made outside of Paris (displayed throughout the gallery). The shelving has been replaced, probably due to warpage or loss of the originals. Several pieces of molding have been replaced but this piece in general and especially the fine inlay is in a remarkable state of conservation.

H: 86 in. L: 42 in. D: 14 in.

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Regency designates, imprecisely, a style which emerged during the 1790s and which evolved and remained in vogue well into the 1830s. The name comes from the regency of Prince George, who ruled in place of King George III of England when the monarch’s mental health had deteriorated. This robust neoclassical style is the English version of the French Empire style, which is however more varied and less strict than the furniture of Napoleon’s aesthetic. There is something flamboyant, exotic, and masculine in Regency pieces, like the young prince.

The Regency style was diversely expressed in England, but elsewhere as well, and over a relatively long period of time. The buying power of the English clientele resulted in much more Regency furniture being made than any other previous style. The English style strongly influenced the tastes of continental Europe by 1830 and it is therefore hard to say if this daybed is French, English, or Italian. The provenance, however, is the estate of a late French Chief Architect of Historical Monuments who had retired to the city of Pau in the South of France.

This daybed belongs to the heavier variant of the Regency style which developed around 1820. Red mahogany was the principal wood used, and one sees how this wood, beautifully sculpted and polished, is the primary source of decoration on such a Regency piece.

The rose sculpted into the center of this daybed’s frame, enclosed by a semi-circle, resembles the Tudor rose which is a symbol of England. However, the sculpted decor of lotus flowers and acanthus leaves are seem more French or Italian in nature.

The asymmetrical and exuberant sides of the bed are consistent with this later, heavier version of the regency style. The forms of an earlier piece of similar quality might have been less pronounced and more formal, if you will. Exaggeration of form often takes place during the later years of a style as makers seek to innovate within the confines of a familiar style they have executed over and over again.

There is a capriciousness to English pieces from this stage of the evolution of European neoclassicism not present in French Empire pieces. The English were not quite as serious and codified as the French who were indeed masquerading as people of ancient times with near academic precision. One might also catch a glimpse of something vaguely sinister in this interesting daybed, which evokes a dark and mysterious past.

H: 30.5 inches. L: 6 ft 10 inches. D: 32.75 inches.

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An exceptionally fine and unusual daybed from the Charles X period circa 1825 with fine inlay of lemonwood. Top pieces from this period represent the height of the art of marquetry in the history of the decorative arts.

The finished, “positive,” side of this bed which faces away from the wall features a unique design to the headboards. The console form of these headboards is more exaggerated and movement driven than the usual high quality models of the day. They descend towards the bottom traverse in a more swooping curve which terminates in a scroll of marquetry.

The console feet are finished with an inlaid scroll, a further sign of high quality, and the facade of the traverse is framed with inlaid Greek borders. A piece such as this testifies to the important decorative role daybeds played in early 19th century luxury interiors.

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Benchmark examples of fine domestic seating circa 1835, these display an interestingly transitional style between Charles X (1820s) & Louis Philippe (1830s). The finesse of the inlay and the rosewood/holly wood color scheme is inspired from the earlier period, but the design and the original fabric dates the chairs to the following Louis-Philippe era.

Prelle & Cie. makes various Louis-Philippe silks today which will suit this suite, but part of the original fabric should be conserved by the new owners and the rest will be donated to an archive.

Various mahogany chairs from this same period, a less precious primary material, are on display in French Museums like the Caillebotte property, and we see plenty of nice mahogany examples of high-quality Louis-Philippe armchairs on the French ministry of culture’s national furniture reserve website – the online collection of Mobilier National, which is a great resource for anyone interested in furniture from the past.

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A large Belgian commode from the second half of the 18th century with intricate marquetry reminiscent of both antiquity and exotic wildlife (popular themes at the time). Inlaid bellflower motifs drape down the side posts, which feature simulated fluting and end in curved cabriole legs. The slight protrusion of the drawers in the center of the chest makes this a “breakfront” commode.

Various woods selected for their color and heated with hot sand to add depth of contrast create a striking effect. The marble top, beveled to follow the contour of the chest, is original but was cracked at one time and has since been restored.

H: 35 in. L: 51 in. W: 25 in.

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A pair of very fine silvered bronze candlesticks in the Empire style, signed by celebrated 19th century bronzier, Henri Vian (1860-1905). Vian is known as one of the top casters and gilders of his time, producing works in the 18th-early 19th century styles which are so refined they are often mistaken for originals.

Vian’s prowess was recognized with the gold medal for bronze work at the 1889 Worlds Fair. He was also the recipient of numerous other awards during the III Republic. His workshop was located at 5 rue de Thorigny in Paris next to the present day Picasso Museum.

Much of his production was concerned with light fixtures and chandeliers. However, these candlesticks are well representative of the finesse for which his works are remembered and coveted. The empire style is perhaps a rarer style for his output, which was often rococo or Louis XVI.

The bases of this pair are decorated with finely chiseled palmettes and cornucopias taken from the Ancient Roman decorative repertoire. The fluted columns support six candle arms which issue from acanthus leaves, and are also fluted, representing the same overall decor.

H: 17.75 inches.

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This armoire dates from the second half of the 17th century and originates most likely from the port city of Nantes. It would have furnished the château or city mansion of a nobleman or wealthy merchant perhaps engaged in commerce through the East India Company (based in Nantes). The former option is more likely because the Maltese crosses on the wardrobe are probably symbols of the Order of Malta which was reserved for nobility.

The wood paneling of the room for which this armoire was commissioned would have necessarily matched the doors of the wardrobe. Boiserie is the French word for highly decorative and intricately sculpted wood paneling, hence such armoires are referred to as “armoires de boiserie.”

The doors are divided into three rectangular panels sculpted with Maltese crosses in high relief and quadrilobe moldings. The straight cornice with a frieze of dentils and form belonging to the early the 17th century is also typical of pieces from Nantes. This original Nantaise style spread along the Atlantic coast. The same quadrilobe moldings and Maltese crosses are found in Brittany and in the southwest closer to Bordeaux.

The sculpted decor of the doors is inspired by the antique grotesque designs of the 17th century trendsetting draughtsman, designer, and ornamentalist, Jean Berain (1640-1711). Berain is an Art History figure remembered for having designed the bedroom and office of King Louis XIV at Versailles in 1674. The motifs on these doors could have also been inspired by the recueils of two other ornamentalists, Daniel Marot (1650-1712) or even Jacques Androuet du Cerceau from the previous century (recueil de grotesques).

The plumes of acanthus leaves at the center top of each door are emblematic motifs of the time. Remarkably, they are in an original state of conservation. Their plush form combined with the slightly curved “policeman’s hat” shape of the upper molding from which they deploy, suggest that this piece was made more towards the late 17th century rather than circa 1650. Furthermore, the carved lions feet adorned with a type of scallop shell indicate a piece of great quality.

A final exceptional aspect of this armoire is that it has conserved its original shelving, complete with hand forged nails and various calligraphic ink markings of home inventory or perhaps the maker’s cataloging numbers.

H: 8ft 2 in. L: 69 in. D: 29 in.

*Dimensions given for widest part at top cornice

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Part of a set of mahogany salon furniture stamped by François Loret, circa 1815. Loret is a renowned but somewhat obscure name, who comes to mind for only high quality early 19th century seating. A good number of very fine chairs have survived from his workshop, many of which are conserved in the French Ministry of Culture’s National Furniture Reserve, Mobilier National. This set is earlier than many of these government Loret pieces, and we see that its design is fully empire (saber feet, straight backs, sober forms, and refined sculpture evoking the classical tropics).

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Convex mirrors, reflecting the entire room from a relatively small glass, were conceived in England in the late 18th century (or France depending on where one stands in the debate). They became a staple in the decorative arts of the early 19th century English Regency period and are found in many great American homes such as Mount Vernon and Gore Vidal’s former estate, Edgewater, in upstate New York.

Also known as a bullseye mirror, this “sorcerer’s mirror” dates from the English Regency period circa 1815-20. The glass is original as well is the gilding on the frame and other gessoed wood baubles/elements. A minor restoration has been made to one of the acanthus leaves below the eagle.

H: 36 in. D: 26.75 in.

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A very fine and unusual commode table in mahogany with gilded bronze ornamentation and an inset white Carrara marble top. This eccentric piece from the late 1830s exemplifies the best of the end of the traditional timeline of period furniture (1500-1840). The quality of the execution of the previous decade is retained, but the work demonstrates the high eclecticism and stylistic experimentation more associated with the period after 1840.

The finely chased and gilded bronze decor is not neoclassical in design, with the Roman palmettes and scrolls one might expect on certain Jacob pieces of the same variety from the 1820s. Here, it is rather neo-baroque or neo-Louis XIV in inspiration, revealing an attempt to create something new.

The doors reveal three English drawers finished in lighter maple which create a striking contrast with the exterior. Another touch of “modernity” relative to commodes of this quality from previous decades, is the special hinges which here allow the doors to swing open farther than usual.

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The long center shelf extends to form a leather topped writing surface while it’s cover is retracted inside the desk. This mechanism seems to emerge during the early 19th century and is purported to be an invention of the Jacob furniture firm and Napoleon himself. Here we see it’s use in a more domestic, however fine, later piece. The style and this use of mahogany is restoration or early Louis Philippe (circa 1830) in concept, but the style of the circular moldings framing the central keyhole indicates a circa 1850 dating.

The inside of the desk is finished in a contrasting lighter birds-eye maple, and other hidden mechanisms allow the drawers without keyholes to be all locked at once. These desks are sometimes referred to as bureaux à caissons, for the caissons or filing box style stack of drawers which effectively form two legs which rest solidly on a plinth. Overall, this is an unusual example of mid-19th century work, which without being a copy or a revival, is true in quality and style to a slightly earlier period (the end of the traditional timeline of the decorative arts circa 1830). The elements in gilded bronze comprise a wreath of Louis Philippe styled flowers and round pulls discreetly and finely chiseled with neoclassical friezes.

Height: 43.5 inches Length: 51.5 inches Depth: 25.75 inches

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Although perhaps a more common and late example of period furniture, these desks exemplify fine domestic furniture circa 1830. The exact model is in fact conserved by the French Ministry of Culture’s reserve; Mobilier National. Although improved tools and techniques allowed makers to produce quite a few more of these desks than secretaries of earlier periods, these improvements allowed for a remarkable precision in the use of the excellently matched flame mahogany veneers one can appreciate here.

The gallery presents two equivalent models, each with contrasting lighter maple interiors, leather topped writing surfaces, and spring-loaded secret compartments. The marbles of both desks are “Saint-Anne grey” however one desk opens by two doors at the bottom as opposed to the other which has lower drawers built directly into the facade.

A full length video is available on youtube for a much more detailed look at these desks and a discussion of the Louis Philippe period as a whole.

(Extensive YouTube Video Link)

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Provenance: Château de Wailly (Built around 1640, and partially destroyed during the French Revolution, the Château de Wailly was used by General Montgomery, commander and chief of the British Army, as a headquarters during the liberation of France in World War Two)

Despite an overall austerity, the single undivided pane of glass would have been an extravagant statement around the year 1800. Fabrication techniques for glass made it such that contiguous pieces of this height were very rare. The claw feet and angular frame are typical of the early Napoleonic period. Traces of green lacquer that remain, a directorate period color, suggest the mirror could even date from the late 1790s. Although the mirror was apparently used as hallway decoration, it is definitely a personal piece, having surely been used daily for a man’s dressing for before having been placed in the upper hallway of the chateau de Wailly. The mahogany veneers were sun-bleached from having spent so much time by the window and have been re-waxed to restore the wood to a richer color. Minor cosmetic repairs appear to have been done long ago on one foot, but otherwise the cheval glass is in a near original state of conservation.

H: 73 inches. L: 37 inches. D: 23 inches.

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An indigenous French bleu turquin marble (the use of which was increased and championed by makers such as Jean-Jacques Werner throughout the 1820s) appears to float above a lotus stylized mahogany baluster, with a gadrooned base and tripod legs resting on claws and apparently original casters.

This elegant model of guéridon appears during the previous empire period, and this one remains boldly neoclassical but the lines have become more curvilinear. Post-Napoleon, the empire style, although sometimes totally eclipsed by different Charles X work, became more floral or tropical in design. Some of the starker angles were tempered by curves, and richly sculpted neoclassical decor evocative of some sort of tropical antiquity replaced the warlike and triumphant bronzes of Napoleon’s time. So this is one of the rarer models of empire round tables, in superbly grained and polished flame mahogany, which bears the influence of the restoration period in its lines, sculpture, and choice of marble.

The table is signed by Parisian maker, Sigisbert Gomien, stamped underneath one of the legs, who was established in 1824 at 193 rue Saint-Antoine (according to Denise Ledoux-Lebarde’s key text on 19th century furniture).

Height: 28.5 inches Diameter: 38 inches

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An elegant bed in mahogany from the restoration period, circa 1820. The rigid, Empire form seems to have been softened to meet the tastes of the Bourbon restoration. The cubic feet have nevertheless remained from the previous style, but the theme of the gilded bronze ornamentation is typical of the post-napoleonic aesthetic (Neoclassical but devoid of military motifs, for instance).

Thus, this bed demonstrates how makers adapted the empire style, adding curves and eliminating right angles, in their search for something new. The Restoration style can be understood as the union of the Ancien Régime’s graceful Louis XVI style and Napoleonic Empire’s monolithic mahogany furniture.

A fine and early example (circa 1700-1710) of a two-tiered four-door Norman buffet. The Myers & Monroe piece is a slightly finer example of such furniture than the one conserved in the Museum of Traditions and Normandy Arts, or the Chateau de Martainville (Image two in black and white from Guillaume Jeanneau’s 1973 publication, Meubles Normands, and image three from the museum in color).

The dimensions of both pieces and their well chiseled steel hardware are identical, however the Myers and Monroe example is adorned with more decorative sculpture, notably the the central shell and carved scrolling acanthus motifs along the entablature. The Myers and Monroe buffet has also retained its original bun feet and two keys. In any case, these pieces issue most likely from the same workshop.

The button shaped steel drawer handles are typical of the 17th century, and the decor of each piece is transitional between the Louis XIV (late 17th century) and early rococo, régence (early 18th century) styles.

At the time these pieces were made (circa 1700-1710), homes furnished with such buffets were very rare. These definitely would have belonged to an important merchant or local nobleman, and today they remain wonderful examples of early Norman luxury furniture, precursors to the famous Norman two-doored wardrobes of the late 18th and early 19th century.

H: 7ft 7 inches. L: 4ft 9 inches. D: 22 inches.

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An exceptionally sized example of the iconic mahogany round table from the French restoration period. The white Carrara marble corresponds to the special nature of this table compared to the smaller, typical versions one encounters with less luxurious Belgian grey Sainte-Anne marble tops.

One recognizes the familiar sculpted tripod of lions claws below a gadrooned baluster. The tripod here, though, is parallel to the ground and it rests on a plinthe; a design necessary to accommodate the weight of this extraordinarily sized table. The model is frequently encountered among period furniture of the first third of the 19th century, for good reason, because it is appealing and versatile. This variant, built to these dimensions, however, is entirely rare.

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This is a particularly fine and successful example of Charles X period furniture, specifically a table de toilette circa 1820-25. The rare, short lived style, is renowned for being the height of inlay refinement in furniture history.

The dressing table features a white Carrara marble, and it opens by one drawer, divided into three compartments, which retains its original key. The inlay work, in purple heart wood on birds-eye maple, is of an earlier Charles X variety (being highly symmetrical and “academically” neoclassical). Later on during the decade, and into the 1830s, this inlay becomes more floral and romantic. The tilting mirror here is fixed, most exceptionally, by subtle but finely finished elements of gilded bronze. It’s supports descend from an inlaid rosette, gracefully to terminate in sculpted rams heads (a particularly special element of this piece’s decor).

The word toilette in French simply comes from the word toile for the sort of cloth back in the 15th and 16th centuries which would have covered the table onto which different objects for facial and hair care would have been arranged.

During the 18th century, the first specialized “beauty pieces” emerge such as these table de toilette which first had fold-down mirrors. During the early 19th century, the use of such pieces widens, and the mirrors becomes fixed into place above a rectangular, marble covered table. These charming pieces continued to enjoy a certain vogue even after the standardization of bathrooms during the 20th century, as various art-deco models, such as those by Ruhimann were masterpieces of refinement.

Height: 59.75 inches . Length: 34.5 inches Depth: 17.75 inches

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This large and emblematic model of armchair is finely upholstered in a violet blue pure silk embossed velvet from the manufacture Royale Bonvallet.

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An eccentric example of luxury Parisian furniture made during the 1790s. This Louis XVI commode table is adorned with brass filets, inlays, and plaques, as was the fashion for some late Louis XVI pieces. This late and evolved variant of the style is often referred to as “directoire,” for the name of the Directorate which governed France after the Revolution and before the Napoleonic Empire.

The commode table and this particular brass laden variant of the Louis XVI style is relevant to American History because James Monroe purchased several pieces of this unusual style during his time as Ambassador to France. This commode, while linked to Monroe only aesthetically and anecdotally, is ironically a finer and more elaborate example of this unique style than the one now in the James Monroe Museum.

The frame is built of oak, and the surfaces are veneered in “flame” mahogany, highlighted with brass, and topped with a white Carrara marble top which is enclosed by a brass gallery. The Neoclassicism of the Louis XVI style, here, is more capricious and lighthearted than the austere and majestic Empire style which follows.

The secrétaire à abbatant or fall front desk in the first image is nearly identical to the desk 5th President James Monroe brought back from France in 1797 (second image). These desks are elegant examples of the popular style during the last decade of the 18th century.

The dimensions are practically identical, although the feet on the Myers & Monroe desk are of a slightly different form. Each desk features a white marble top surrounded by a brass gallery, and the brass ornamentation framing the Cuban mahogany veneered sides is distributed in the same fashion. The side posts are adorned with brass fluting, and the top drawers, writing tables, and bottom drawers lock with a trefoil key (a sophisticated mechanism found on high quality pieces of the time).

James Monroe was sent to Paris by the Washing- ton Administration to allay French suspicions while John Jay was working out a treaty with England in London. The Monroes were liked in France and Mrs. Monroe later described their time there as the happiest years of their life. One can imagine that the Monroes were content to return to America with a few reminders of the early morning candlelit dinners and lively con- versation he enjoyed in Paris as a host. Further- more, Monroe’s father practiced carpentry, and this probably increased the ambassador’s sensi- tivity to the quality of furniture he encountered while in France. His fall front desk was part of a set that includes a commode, a side table, and a round table in the same style that was first used to furnish his Parisian residence. The style is one emblematic of the late Louis XVI period, featur- ing stunning amounts of polished brass.

The Monroe Doctrine Desk, is known for having been the drawing board for the Monroe Doctrine which set the tone of American foreign policy ever since. When Monroe’s great grandson purportedly broke the writing surface centuries after Monroe’s death, a secret compartment was discovered containing letters between the President and various figures of the American revolution i.e. Franklin, Lafayette, and Washington.

H: 56.5 inches L: 36 inches D: 14.5 inches

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The secrétaire à abbatant or fall front desk in the first image is nearly identical to the desk 5th President James Monroe brought back from France in 1797 (second image). These desks are elegant examples of the popular style during the last decade of the 18th century.

The dimensions are practically identical, although the feet on the Myers & Monroe desk are of a slightly different form. Each desk features a white marble top surrounded by a brass gallery, and the brass ornamentation framing the Cuban mahogany veneered sides is distributed in the same fashion. The side posts are adorned with brass fluting, and the top drawers, writing tables, and bottom drawers lock with a trefoil key (a sophisticated mechanism found on high quality pieces of the time).

James Monroe was sent to Paris by the Washing- ton Administration to allay French suspicions while John Jay was working out a treaty with England in London. The Monroes were liked in France and Mrs. Monroe later described their time there as the happiest years of their life. One can imagine that the Monroes were content to return to America with a few reminders of the early morning candlelit dinners and lively con- versation he enjoyed in Paris as a host. Further- more, Monroe’s father practiced carpentry, and this probably increased the ambassador’s sensi- tivity to the quality of furniture he encountered while in France. His fall front desk was part of a set that includes a commode, a side table, and a round table in the same style that was first used to furnish his Parisian residence. The style is one emblematic of the late Louis XVI period, featur- ing stunning amounts of polished brass.

The Monroe Doctrine Desk, is known for having been the drawing board for the Monroe Doctrine which set the tone of American foreign policy ever since. When Monroe’s great grandson purportedly broke the writing surface centuries after Monroe’s death, a secret compartment was discovered containing letters between the President and various figures of the American revolution i.e. Franklin, Lafayette, and Washington.

H: 56.5 inches L: 36 inches D: 14.5 inches

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This is a sophisticated example of mid-nineteenth century gothic revival work not only by virtue of the quality of the sculpture, but by its revival of a transitional moment between the high gothic and renaissance styles. Originally, dressoirs such as this were presentation cabinets sometimes seen depicted in the “great halls” of grand medieval homes. A modern day equivalent to this piece doesn’t quite exist as times, customs, and disposition and use of rooms has changed so entirely.

More-often, revival pieces are copies of either the high gothic or the renaissance style. This piece is a revival of the transitional first half of the 16th century when essentially gothic pieces began to feature renaissance ornamentation (in this case the figurative masks/faces). The choice of wood here, walnut, a renaissance period wood choice as opposed to medieval oak, also allows for the carving to be finer and for the grain and finish of this piece to be smoother. This walnut hints towards the maker’s intention to revive a niche moment of transition from the gothic period into the early renaissance (when medieval oak was phased out in favor of walnut).

Aside from stylistic discussions, the key with such revival pieces is to recognize outstanding, earlier 19th century examples such as this one (dating to ~1840-1850). The quality of the design here, loyalty to the original style, and overall refinement is far superior to the majority of revival works which were made from 1870 to the early 20th century.

Interestingly, the piece retains its five keys operating the open-worked wrought iron locks which dialogue with the open-worked high gothic style hinges.

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A very fine empire period mahogany round table with a bleu turquin marble and gilded bronze ornamentation. This is the rarer, smaller version of this pyramidal based, claw footed tripod table emblematic of the period.

(Image 3 shows the larger model with a Belgian black marble, conserved by the French National Furniture Reserve, Mobilier National)

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A set of 25 red wine glasses, 25 white wine glasses, 25 champagne flutes, 25 liquor glasses, and 4 pitchers from the famous Baccarat Crystal Manufactory in Baccarat, France.

The simple and elegant high-stemmed Missouri model is now out of production. These crystal pieces are marked with Baccarat’s acid-engraved stamp, a process which replaced their paper labels in 1936.

In 1764, King Louis XV gave permission to found a glassworks in the town of Baccarat. It produced stemware and windows until 1816 when the first crystal oven went into operation. A retrospective was held in 1963 at the Louvre Museum to celebrate the glassworks 200th anniversary. Baccarat is now world renowned as the finest crystal available on the market, whether for collection pieces or for domestic use.

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Jean-Jacques Werner was one of the foremost French cabinetmakers of the early 19th century. He is credited for championing the use of lighter colored woods, such as the burled ash we see here. He was awarded a medal at the 1819 precursor to the World’s Fairs for the excellence of his striking pieces in these unusual blond woods.

His works are on display in various important cultural institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Paris’s Museum of Decorative Arts.

An inlaid version of this particular armchair, with its signature armrests terminating in a scroll which rests on a lions claw, is published (lending the attribution to Werner).

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This attractively proportioned oak neogothic piece, with seemingly older panels, strikes one as a chest. It’s large dimensions and the two doors by which it opens, however, are more that of a buffet. The metalwork is finely executed, possibly recycled from an older piece. During this second half of the 19th century, when french makers produced very fine copies or reinterpretations of gothic period work, it was customary to salvage and reuse elements of original high medieval furniture.

The panels here feature gothic “flamboyant” tracery and trefoils, and they are punctuated by pilasters topped with miniature crocketed spires. The doors close via a lock and key, and the inner compartment features one large shelf.

Height: 33 inches Length: 64.5 inches Depth: 22.75 inches

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An exceptional gilt wood mirror made in the South of France circa 1780. Both the mirror glass and the gilding is original and in good condition. This is a charming example of Louis XVI neoclassicism interpreted by makers in the department of Provence. The formal and rectilinear neoclassical style is integrated here with the traditional style fleuri or provençal “flowery” style.

It is interesting to see provençal pieces in the Louis XVI style. (“Provincial” denotes any countryside origin and comprises a range of specific regional styles - provençal refers to the southern French, often rural in character, pieces made in the specific Department of Provence). The Louis XVI style was first an urban style, patronized by city elites who acquired neoclassical tastes after visiting newly excavated Roman ruins in the mid 18th century. In contrast to the assymetrical rococo which preceded it, the Louis XVI style is more regimented and lends itself to the formality of sophisticated urban interiors. A mirror such as this, while clearly “Louis XVI” with its Grecian corners and antique vase pediment, retains much of the contrasting Southern French organic/nature driven style as vines grow asymmetrically up and around the frame.

H: 42 inches. L: 25.25 inches

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A stunning mahogany “straight sofa” from the early empire period, in the Egyptian revival style, attributed to the firm, Jacob-Desmalter, which was responsible for making Napoleon’s thrones. This palatial piece could at least be seen as a “throne for four,” as they were conceived for show and momentary sitting in large reception rooms or long galleries of official residences. A desk of a similar nature, but by master furniture maker Pierre-Antoine Bellangé who notably furnished the White House in 1817, is conserved Paris’s Marmottan Museum. The sofa, like many pieces from this period is unsigned (mandatory stamping of pieces having been abolished), but it is only logical to attribute it to one of the top workshops of the period.

This type of furniture is one of the rarest and most coveted types of empire furniture, in its use of full scale sculpted griffons or in this case sphinxes. Naturally, the Egyptian revival style loosely corresponds to the time of Napoleon’s Egypt Campaign (1798-1801), but this style is technically be referred to as “consulate.” At the time (1799-1804), France was ruled by three consuls, one of whom was Napoleon. These impressive works are, however, simply grouped under the umbrella of “empire” furniture. This term applies to the stark and powerful neoclassical style that emerged at the end of the 18th century and which remained in vogue until 1815. Such pieces today have ended up rather timeless, prized for their flare and compelling integration into contemporary spaces.

This one was likely ordered in a series of four, or a pair, and it retains two paper labels from the period which at one point might have revealed its original home. In any case, these unusual sofas are associated with official government use, or at least with the impressive interiors of personalities close to court at the time.

One of its most charming aspects is the subtle carving under the wings of the sphinxes, simulating rib-cages, giving the impression that they are alive, that they might, god forbid, wander off!

(Extensive YouTube Presentation Link)

Length: 102 Inches, Height: 42 Inches, Depth: 29 Inches

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Charles X neogothic work appears as if torn from the pages of Tolkien, Rowling, or Lewis. It’s one of the rarest, most romantic, refined, and endearing styles of decorative art. This wonderful “psyché,” as such mirrors are called, dates back to the late 1820s, and is an unforgettable piece hopefully for more than just those familiar with this style. It thankfully retains its original glass, but several ladies report that one looks slightly heavier than one actually is in the otherwise charming reflection. The full truth there remains to be seen, and the gallery is delighted to represent this memorable example of a very special moment in French furniture history.

As evident in such a piece, Charles X furniture is renowned as being the height of inlay in furniture history, at least in terms of precision. Whether or not one is drawn to the style, it occurs at a time when the decorative arts were at the apex of centuries of evolving tools and techniques. Thus, for essentially pre-industrial furniture, this style reaches a height of refinement and precision of execution.

Most Charles X is neoclassical, deriving it’s decor from ancient art (inlay inspired by classical palmettes, designs taken from antiquity). This mirror however, aptly named for the goddess of the soul, is in the neogothic style, a rare facet of Charles X work which is usually associated with the period of about 1827-30.

The size is exceptional, the style is rare, and the variant of the style is rarer and eccentric. Such a piece was no doubt commissioned exceptionally for someone with special tastes. The label which would have relayed this information is, of course, all but worn off underneath the piece. Nevertheless, and although pieces from this time are rarely stamped, Jean-Josse Caron L’Ainé is the master furniture maker to whom these astonishing Charles X pieces in the neogothic style are often attributed.

The quintessential armchair of the short-lived Charles X style circa 1820-25. Chairs such as these are found in the Charles X room of the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts. This specific armchair is surprisingly published in Denise Ledoux-Lebarde’s celebrated dictionary of 19th century furniture makers, and it is signed by Jean-François Pochard (1804-1846). Pochard is a fairly unknown maker, whose works (a sofa) nevertheless are conserved in the National Museum of the Château de Versailles, the Grand Trianon, the apartment of Madame Adélaïde.

This chair is made of mottled maple, with fine incrustations of darker amaranth wood, upholstered with a contemporary multicolored damask patterned silk. Scrolling neoclassical foliage motifs typical of this romantic style adorn the front and the back of the chair, as well as the sides of the “frogs thigh/cuisse de grenouille” shaped legs.

Traces of a makers mark are visible inside the chair.

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One of the finest pieces of Charles X period furniture to arrive at this gallery, this secretary is both a unique and an emblematic example of the second half of the rare style. This same model of luxury secretary desk is featured in the key French publications about the furniture of the Bourbon Restoration. This desk exemplifies the finest quality possible in Charles X domestic furniture, without entering the tier of Royal, state furniture, or furniture commissioned by specific personalities in or close to the Court.

The overall aesthetic can be seen as a reaction to the majestic, monolithic Neoclassicism of the Empire style. Charles X furniture gains in elegance what it looses in majesty from these previous decades. It prefers a subtler, more romantic Neoclassicism to a triumphant one. The gilded bronze ornamentation of Napoleon’s time is all but gone on most Charles X pieces. The luxury and artistry of this piece is lent to it by the exquisite refinement of the inlaid motifs on both the exterior and inside the piece. The dark background, highlighted with think strips of blond wood is more common after 1825. The original Charles X style, which is more or less identical in taste, is marked by the use of blond woods highlight contrastingly with dark, typically amaranth wood inlay.

The two gorges sculpted around the edge of the marble top represent a decorative touch which was reserved for pieces of high quality. The astonishingly unique and lively interior of this desk is a testament to the skill of its maker, and a reflection of how luxury was generally concealed during this time. The fall front of this desk has retained its original leather writing surface, and it is also equipped with a counterbalance which lifts it closed automatically.

Finally, one remarks how both furniture makers and consumers were proud of the exceptional nature of their art furniture in the pre-industrial, generally pre 1840 era. After this point in time, for technical and societal reasons, quality and stylistic excellence are the exception and not the rule.

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An exceptional pitcher of the French Restoration Period (end of the first quarter of the 19th century) from the celebrated Palais Royal shop l’Escalier de Cristal or "The Crystal Staircase.”

The Widow Desarnaux owned this shop and oversaw the designs for cristal objects with gilded bronze mounts. She ordered her crystal from the Baccarat or Le Creusot manufactory. Her most famous creation is the dressing table for the Duchess of Berry in crystal and gilded bronze, now in the Louvre.

Many thanks to Grégoire de Thoury for his insight and expertise on this artifact.

H: 14 in. D: 6 in.

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A Charles X period secrétaire à abattant, or fall front desk, circa 1825, topped with turquin blue marble. Neoclassical scrolling foliage motifs of amaranth wood are inlaid into a veneer of mottled maple.

The fall front writing surface unlocks at the turn of a “diamond” key ♦ (the shape is hollowed down the column of the key). The table is covered in pale blue leather embossed with gold leaf borders. The mirrored and ornate inner gallery contains six “English” drawers and two secret compartments that spring open at the push of a button. It is interesting to note that these small English drawers are not interchangeable, a hallmark of custom handmade furniture before the industrial era.

Note that the marquetry inside, light wood inlaid into a dark background, is the reverse of the outer wood color scheme. Finally, The lower half contains three pull out shelves, and at the very bottom, a hidden drawer rests at above the carved claw feet.

It was sold with the matching daybed which was perhaps not ordered from the same cabinet maker but was of the same style and period.

H: 60 in. W: 30.5 in. D: 17 in.

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A very fine commode or chest of drawers in mottled maple with fine incrustations of amaranth wood. (Drawers hidden by two doors or “vantaux” making this an exceptional variety of commode).

The Charles X style is the most refined in the post-Renaissance/pre-industrial timeline of the French decorative arts (1600-1840). The style emerges as a reaction and an evolution of the aesthetics of the Napoleonic Empire. It is generally considered to span the decade of 1820-30~, and in terms of quality of execution, it represents an apex of centuries of artistry in master furniture making.

The finesse of the palmettes inlaid into the doors are a testament to why the Charles X period is remembered as the highpoint of the art of marquetry in period furniture history. On this commode, the inlaid decor is highly symmetrical and very academic in its interpretation and reuse of motifs from the ancient Graeco-Roman decorative repertoire.

The use of a light wood background for inlay (maple) is associated with the earlier Charles X period 1820-25. The wood scheme was more often inverted during the second portion of the decade (dark wood with light inlay). The form of this commode, however, particularly the bulbous curve of the corner moldings just below the grey marble, point towards manufacture circa 1825-30. In any case, a piece as fine as this is certainly the work of one of the major Parisian makers of the day, such as Louis Lemarchand, who were often no longer stamping their work (as the obligation to do so had long since been abolished).

With regard to the previous Empire style, the Charles X style gains in elegance what it loses in majesty. The birds eye maple, used here as the main blond colored wood, highlights the fall of the Napoleonic Empire (much Empire work was made in Cuban Mahogany which in a way advertised the scope and power of the regime). Maple, an indigeonous French wood, was a luxurious subtle choice for a humbled country recovering from decades of wars. Finally, this style is as rare as it is exquisite. It lasted no longer than a decade, and the typical luxury clientele was less affluent than usual and even less prone to overt displays of wealth.

H: 36 in. L: 49 in. D: 22.5 in.

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Although furniture in the gothic style is common near the end of the 19th century, this piece exemplifies the rarer and much finer mid-19th century luxury production of such neo-gothic pieces. This dressoir is an interesting instance of a 19th century stylistic revival actually surpassing in sophistication and flair the original style itself. Instead of a poorly executed copy or a clumsy, machine made, reinterpretation of an earlier style, this piece masterfully pushes the original 15th century high gothic aesthetic to the height of its potential. This piece was surely custom ordered for an elaborate neo-gothic interior of the mid 1800s, which likely no longer exists.

The quality of this piece is part of what would make one logically date it to an earlier part of the 19th century, i.e. the 1840s-1860s, as it ressembles in refinement the set of furniture recorded in a famous painting by Prosper Lafaye of Princesse Marie d’Orléans’s salon in the Tuileries Palace. This three meter towering example of a style revival is dated closer to the romantic period of the first half of the 19th century. It’s sublimity and overwhelming decor does in fact evoke a romantic and grand past that no doubt surpasses the reality of what life was like during the true gothic period.

Image three is of a 19th century neo-gothic interior which illustrates how the complete space was more the work of art, than this wonderful piece which we nevertheless appreciate today divorced from its original surroundings. The gothic style is one of the most sophisticated and original in history, as it is in fact anti-classical, essentially devoid of influence from the art of Ancient Rome/Greece/Egypt.

An exceptional fall front desk in flame mahogany, with rare gilded bronze ornamentation (Corinthian capitals on the detached outer columns) and a black marble top. This desk exhibits all of the qualities of the finest manufacture. The full columns are far more elaborate than the half columns often used. Trefoil locks secure the doors and the fall front with its green leather writing surface that unfolds with the help of a counterbalance rigged on pulleys inside the frame. These large and strong locks show how these letter writing pieces were once used to guard one’s private correspondences.

Inside, two ebonite columns with the same Corinthian capitals border a mirrored gallery above a series of drawers made of solid mahogany which is a subtle touch found in the highest quality pieces. Hidden buttons reveal two spring loaded secret compartments which would have protected important letters.

Late Empire period, early Restoration period dating: The Restoration Period in France corresponds to the time after Napoleon when the Bourbon Monarchy was briefly restored. When Louis XVIII, King of France from 1815-1823, comes to power, he is basically content to reuse Napoleon’s furniture. One could say that the new “Restoration” was slow to adopt an entirely new style, which does emerge later with the Charles X style in the 1820s, but after the costly Napoleonic wars, it was better to avoid displays of wealth by lavishly refurnishing official buildings.

This desk could very well date from the end of Empire period (1810-1815), its eccentricities explained by it’s exquisiteness. (Identical bronze capitals do appear on an authentic empire secretary circa 1810-1815 owned by the French Interior Ministry and featured in Guillaume Jeanneau’s Le Meuble d’ébénisterie). The curved cornice and the plush nature of the bronze ornamentation, however, announce the beginning of the Restoration’s graceful influence on the monolithic Napoleonic style. The quality and technique of construction (handmade screw threads, and the joinery used inside the desk and on the oak frame) is congruent with early 19th century production. With this and its extraordinary form in mind, dating the desk circa 1820 might be a safer decision.

Aside from a debate on late Empire or early Restoration dating, the exceptional quality of the piece is undeniable with regard to the “everyday” secretaries of this style. In any case, the desk itself is very much an Empire work. The solemn and striking result of the wide angular surfaces, with the bronze ornamentation yielded this triumphant national style.The neoclassical tastes that reemerge in the middle of the 18th century are fully matured here. The desk is architectural and meant to be viewed straight on, with majesty and effect superseding its subtler artistic value. The grain of the flame mahogany is nevertheless particularly well staged.

Percier et Fontaine, two interior designers or architects of 18th-19th century neoclassicism, if one is to fully acknowledge the science of their work, claimed that “it is self flattery to find in vain any forms preferable the ones lent to us by the ancients.” Their stated goal in the Receuil de Décorations Intérieures was to “follow the models of antiquity, not blindly but with the discernment that modern customs and materials have provided [...] to imitate antiquity in spirit, in its timeless principles and maxims.”

H: 55 inches L: 35 inches D: 17 inches

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A Charles X period “boat bed” in mottled maple with fine incrustations of amaranth wood, circa 1820-1820. The amaranth highlights scroll around the sides of the headboards, descending along the curves of the boat bed, conjoining in the center of the frame to form a simple but intricate shell. Beds such as these are finished on one side and are thus placed up against a wall so that the “positive” side can be viewed from the room.

“Boat” or “sleigh” beds played an important decorative role in the early 19th century, and this one is of the same style (wood and inlay) as the secretary desk from the same period beside it.

H: 35.5 inches L: 90 inches D: 43.5 inches

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A Louis XV period chest of drawers or commode circa 1740; perhaps the most emblematic piece of French 18th century furniture.

A 1997 Les Echos Parisian newspaper article gleaned from several interviews with the great Parisian antiquaires that “certain clients enter the art market once in their lives to make a single purchase with the intention to leave something of importance to their children. In 90% of cases, the piece in question is a commode.”

Commode, in French, means “handy or useful,” but is used here to name these decorative side tables that emerged in the late seventeenth century. The first commodes were particularly grand decorative works with exquisite bronze ornamentation. The first known model features one drawer and Boulle marquetry of brass, tin, and tortoise shell. It was to be placed against a wall and meld into a coherent decorative scheme.

The Louis XV period French commode contains four drawers, opening by three rows. The curved sides, as well as the serpentine façade are veneered with contrasting strips violet wood arranged in an elegant geometric fashion. The Louis XV style, French rococo, is one of the few unique styles in history to break away from Classical influence. It brings the movement and beauty of nature indoors, and allows for an element of chance in design. This gives it a kind of wit and semantic lightness; a welcome contrast to the authoritarian tone of the French court expressed in the decorative arts of the previous period.

The side posts are adorned with and protected by chiseled and gilt bronze ornamentation. Upon close inspection it is reasonable to say that these bronzes, handles and key escutcheons are original to the piece. Often when the original bronzes are lost and replaced, the replacements are of such a nature that no close inspection is needed to detect them. The chest is topped with red Languedoc marble which follows the contoured mouvement of the façade.

This list of the different elements having come together to create this commode would reveal forgotten 18th century process of multiple skilled artisans collaborating to create a single work of decorative art. (Each is master of their own task - whether gilder, bronze maker, master carpenter, ébéniste, marble miner or sculptor. One should also note the difficulties met by the packers and shippers of the day who moved primary materials and finished pieces over bumpy roads in wooden wagons.

H: 34.25 in.     L: 51 in.     D: 26 in. 

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The French commode table above is from the period of transition between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. The body is straight sided, but the legs remain rococo as master furniture makers hesitated to fully embrace the new neoclassical/rectilinear style. The sides are veneered with kingwood and rosewood in a “butterfly wing” fashion, and framed with green Greek borders.

The gilded bronze ornamentation, however, is totally neoclassical. Finely chiseled wreaths of laurels form the drawer pulls on the five drawers which lock from one central mechanism. The piece has been well maintained and re-varnished (wax would have originally been used), and all the bronze hardware as well as the grey veined marble is period correct.

These commodes demonstrate the purely curvilinear “Louis XV” style being eclipsed by new rectilinear tastes that reemerged during the middle of the century. The Roman city of Pompeii was discovered in 1748, sparking newfound interests in the straight forms and decorative vocabulary of classical antiquity. King Louis XV’s favourite, the Marquise de Pompadour, facilitated this style overhaul by sending her brother on a grand tour of Italy in 1752. All Paris was reportedly “Greek” by 1761, and neoclassicism only grew throughout the rest of the century and well into the 19th century. It wasn’t until Art Nouveau circa 1890-1910 that another totally “new” (and divorced from the forms of the ancients) style emerged.

H: 33.5 inches. L: 45.5 inches. D: 24 inches.

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A large mahogany chest of drawers (five drawers), with fluted side posts, a slightly protruding facade (making this a “breakfront” commode), and the original white marble top. The absence of a traverse between the drawers is a sign of great quality and mastery of assemblages by the cabinetmaker. The exaggerated curves and ornamentation of previous styles have evolved into a simpler neoclassical elegance.

The Louis XVI style is reputed to be one of the most successful in period furniture history. It is one that appears to favor reason over fantasy, yet there is something fantastical about conjuring up the forms of the ancient republics. Although straight-sided, the edges and the angles are rounded and softened. The style is neoclassical, but in a lighthearted way and without insisting as later more triumphant and monolithic neoclassical styles do. The impact of this piece is owed to its size, purity of form, and rich color. The round, tapered, and fluted feet appear on all types of furniture at the time. 

H: 35,5 in.      W: 51 in.       D: 25 in. 

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A very unique piece made by Lyonnaise master furniture maker, Pierre Grange, or his predecessors Daubet & Dumarest. These makers won awards for master furniture making at the 1855 Paris World’s Fair thanks to their ingenious mechanism which opens secretaries such as this one automatically.

This desk is veneered in burled black “mountain” walnut which is a darker walnut found in the environs of Lyon employed for centuries by master furniture makers there. Stylitically, the desk and bookcase is in the Louis-Philippe style, showing no influence of older stylistic revivals which will influence the design of pieces dating from the second half of the 19th century. The upper bookcase portion has retained its original and charming glass panes which rest above a row of three drawers. This center drawer, with a keyhole, is in fact simulated.

One turns the key which presses a button in the top of the bottom tier, activating a mechanism which deploys the writing surface automatically. The 1849 Fair Jury Report lists “Daubet & Dumarest” of Lyon in a separate category of master furniture makers: “the jury has placed in this second category all furnishing objects which by their marquetry or fantasy could not be classed among the usual works of ébénisterie.”

H: 7ft 8 inches. L: 45.25 inches. D: 22 inches.

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In the manner of Thomas Chippendale, from the second half of the 18th century, this George III period desk and bookcase in mahogany has retained its original glass and has a unique inner gallery with several secret drawers.

At the time, mahogany was a new dense wood prized for its rich color and ability to hold detailed carvings (see the crisp frieze of dentils beneath the broken arch pediment).

The redness of the wood and the interior layout of the desk are exceptional. The vertical drawers that imitate books are more vestiges of the 18th century’s wit and charm than they are or were ever serious means to protect important belongings.

H: 7ft 6 inches L: 44 inches D: 21.5 inches

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This unique gondola chair in solid mahogany is intended for use behind a desk. A frieze of decorative tacks borders the mustard colored leather which is not original (although comfortable and in good condition). 

The armrests are finished with gilded bronze ram's heads. Bronze dragons face away from each other centered below the seat. Four saber feet curve towards the floor, the front two topped in carved rosettes. Anecdotally, this shape of curve beneath the armrest is said to have accommodated someone sitting while wearing a sword.

H: 33.5 in.     L: 23 in.      D: 17 in. 

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An important six-foot-tall overmantel mirror in sculpted and partially re-gilded wood, from the late Louis XVI period. The front pediment is comprised of military motifs: flags, trumpets, arrows, and sprigs of laurel. Neoclassical friezes of heart spokes and pearls border the original glass. (The military pediment atop mirrors such as this is the second rarest type encountered, after pediments stylized with scientific instruments and before ones featuring musical instruments).

The divided pane is a sign of authenticity and is consistent with 18th century production techniques. Tall mirrors with divided panes are on display in various museums such as Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and the Chateau de Versailles. 

Tall Gilt Wood Mirrors such as these were first used by the French to enhance interiors by reflecting candle- light and daylight. Generally long and tall, pier mirrors or “trumeau” mirrors were meant for the spaces along the wall between windows, or above an overmantel. Jefferson admired what he had seen in France and along with building larger windows, incorporating these pieces into his interiors was part of his redesign scheme for Monticello. The panes of the mirrors are divided because 18th century manufacturers could only produce sheets of glass up to a certain size.

H: 73 in.      L: 46.5 in. 

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A Louis XV period secretary desk with a remarkable radial motif on the facade. The writing surface is garnished with burgundy leather that seems to be original. The bottom doors reveal a simple compartment and shelf for storage.

Secretary desks are relatively complex, multipurposed, and studied pieces which evoque intellectual activity. Emerging at the end of the 17th century, they become a mainstay in furniture as part of the decorative arts by the end of the 18th century. Secretaries are comprised of three levels: an upper drawer, a middle compartment closing by a fall front which serves as a writing surface, and a lower part which usually closes by two doors. “Secretary” refers to the secret (secret-ary) compartments often found inside of these pieces.

The carefully matched veneering of this decorative yet functional piece of furniture, is a testament to the craftsmanship and artistry of the time.

*Ébéniste is the French word for master furniture maker, with specific regard to the art of veneering. The word originates from the name for the Dutch makers who first used veneers of ebony (ébène in French) on luxury cabinets during the 17th century.

H: 60 in. L: 38 in. W: 18 in.

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“Armoire” comes from the latin word armarium which referred to the place where the arms were kept. After the bed, the bench, and the table, the armoire is one of the most ancient types of furniture in history. In the beginning, it was a recessed space built into the wall which closed by one or two doors, where weapons, clothes, jewels, and other precious items were locked away. From a stationary closet, the armoire developed into an independent structure that one could move to assure the same function. Of all types of furniture, the armoire is the one that has changed the least throughout the centuries. 

It is exciting to feature a stunning example of perhaps the most recognized and largest type of French “provincial” furniture. This armoire was made in the region around Lyon. It dates from 1730-1740 and is made of sculpted, well preserved, walnut.

Wardrobes of this size were grand and rare possessions at the time, and they are naturally even rarer today. Much of an armoire’s artistic value is due to its size and architecture, which is less rigid here than previous styles. The rococo style hasn’t reached the level of verve and curvilinear expressionism that it will later. This transitional rococo style, Regence, is a stylistic evolution that took place during the first three decades of the 18th century.

Surprisingly, this armoire has retained its original key and impressive locking mechanisms. The lock is signed by Pierre Calonier (1689-1754) who lived in St. Etienne near Lyon.

H: 9ft 4in. L: 65in. W: 28in.

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A late 18th century bureau à cylindre or roll top desk in oak and mahogany with inlaid and filets and plaques of brass and a white Carrera marble top enclosed by a brass gallery.

This desk is a fine example of work from the end of the Louis XVI period i.e. the 1790s. This “updated” Louis XVI style which features brass filets, flutings and plaques, is the successor to the original Louis XVI style (imagine this desk without the brass elements). The style is in vogue throughout the 1790s until the “egyptomania” of the early Napoleonic style emerges by 1797.

The drawers and cylindrical lid lock by trefoil key mechanisms which are a sign of high quality. Coherent with 18th century techniques, the brass gallery securing the marble top is brazed together every ten inches (longer sections of metal were used in later copies).

Nevertheless, this style came back into fashion during the early 19th century, after the fall of Napoleon during the Restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. It is often difficult to tell the difference between Louis XVI style pieces made during the original period and ones which were made during 1815-1820. The real value with regard to dating, however, is simply having one such as this which is definitely not a post-industrial copy made during the late 1800s or even early 20th century.

H: 47.5 in. L: 51 in. D: 25 in.

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A traditional yet very finely executed and very well preserved model of armchair from the Napoleonic Empire period. Furthermore, this pair has been expertly reupholstered with fine silk that is period correct. The silk features wreaths of laurel, bellflower stripes, as well as a fine galon or border of neoclassical palmette and rosace motifs. Even the backs of the chairs are upholstered with this silk, enhancing their decorative impact in a room. In the early 19th century, with fabric being costlier than it is today, the backs would have likely been upholstered with a simpler checkered fabric.

The finesse of the sculpture where the armrest meets the ceinture (or the frame of the seat) indicates that these would have been made by one of the prominent Empire makers. The front and back “saber” shaped legs are key traits of an Empire chair. Their subtle curve lends grade to an otherwise statuesque and monolithic style. This design of this pair does not tend towards the rigidity for which the style has often been criticized (noticing the volute which splashes upwards as the armrests seem to collide with the back of the chair).

The model of chair is more representative of the period than something particularly rare, at least in terms of Napoleonic period furniture. The precision of the sculpted decor apparent here is, however, surprising.

H: 36 inches. L: 22 inches. D: 21 inches.

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A sideboard buffet made in the department of Provence circa 1700-1710, with richly sculpted fleur de lys, stars, and inlaid Maltese crosses. The fleur de lys on the side posts would have been hommages or signs of allegiance to the semi-independent parliament of Provence. The top compartment at the back, making this a buffet à glissant, and opening by two sliding "diamond point" doors, can be removed. The slide-top buffet is more often encountered in a fully rococo or Louis XV style form. Such slide-tops were very popular and they seem to emerge somewhere around 1730 and they remained popular up into the early 19th century. This buffet is interesting in that it is a very early example of the buffet à glissant, a rare Louis XIV period precursor to the Louis XV model which is still being copied today.

“Provincial” is a term applied in English typically to pieces made during the 18th century in the South of France in the Louis XV style (the term is also used to denote copies of this style). In French, “provincial” is a broader term referring to any number of smaller towns and cities not limited to Provence. Whether any provincial piece, or a provencal one such as this, these pieces are appreciated for a certain rusticity and prized for the traces of hand fabrication that flicker across their surfaces in the right angle of light.

Dating pieces on style alone from small villages or departmental cities can prove more difficult than doing so with pieces made in Paris. Country makers were often late to adopt the newest styles already prevalent in Paris and larger cities. Thus a certain blending and overlapping of period motifs is often present, which nevertheless lends these pieces much of their charm.

The presence of marquetry on provincial pieces such as this buffet is somewhat uncommon, but not for pieces from the department of Provence. Alternating strips of walnut and elm yield the Maltese crosses, as well as the scrolling ribbon motif below the doors above the bun feet.

H: 60 in.      W: 62 in.       D: 26 in. 

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A small mahogany meridienne or daybed with a swan’s neck back and lotus leaf feet. The finesse of the sculpture and the overall elegance of this piece support an attribution to one of the more skilled master furniture makers of the day, such as Pierre-Antoine or Louis Bellange.

The style of this piece demonstrates the graceful influence of the Bourbon Restoration on the previous Napoleonic Empire style. An Empire daybed (circa 1810, for instance) would be more rigid and statuary in form. In the early days of the Restoration (1815-1820), before a style distinct from the Empire style took hold, makers continued creating pieces that were essentially “Empire” but less triumphant and more graceful.

As with this meridienne, the decor and concept remains neoclassical (swan’s being an Ancient Roman symbol of beauty, and the lotus leaves sculpted into the feet alluding perhaps to life along the Nile in Ancient Egypt). The use of military motifs is avoided, however. The edges and corners of the piece are rounded, and sharp angles are replaced with curves.

H: 33.5 inches. L: 55 inches. D: 23.5 inches.

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Circa 1780-1800, this monumental wardrobe comes from the port city of Bordeaux where much of the Mahogany from the Carribean would arrive in France. The abundance of the exotic wood there fostered the phenomenon of “port furniture” or pieces made of solid mahogany, rather than veneer. Furniture from Bordeaux from this time is as coveted as grand pieces of Parisian manufacture. Bordelaise makers were influenced by pieces from the capital that were shipped from there to the orient to be lacquered. 

*With its original locking mechanisms and key.

Dimensions: H: 113 in.    L: 62 in.     D: 30 in. 

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A suite of three French Louis XVI period fauteuils in lacquered beechwood, attributed to Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené. The detached columns along the gadrooned backrests are fluted as well as the legs. 

The armrests are joined to curved supports by polygonal heads, suggesting a date of fabrication circa 1789, (on the cusp of the Directoire period). The back legs are slightly curved, forecasting the "saber" foot style of this following period.   

H: 35 in.    L: 23 in.       D: 20in. 

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A late Empire or early Charles X period dressing table in burl thuya wood with fine incrustations of amaranth wood circa 1820. Burl refers to a type of rare defect in the tree which then yields striking patterns in polished veneer.

This dressing table opens by one drawer which reveals a light-blue leather covered writing surface and a compartment with two shaving bowls. The claw feet on rollers and its stark, relatively, angular form linger from the Napoleonic period. The lighter colored wood and blue-grey marble top indicate the beginning of the Charles X style circa 1820, making this a transitional piece.

H: 58.25 in. L: 32.75 in. D: 18.5 in.

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The city of Lyon and its environs constitute a region in France which developed its own remarkable character in furniture production during the 18th century. This wardrobe, made out of dense and sometimes refered to as “mountain walnut,” demonstrates how “regional” French furniture could rival in quality and in spirit what was being made in Paris. 

Exceptionally large presentation wardrobes such as this, with triple “policeman’s hat” cornices, richly molded doors, and impressive carved shells are indeed very rare. However they are not rare enough to have escaped having become iconic examples of the rococo style and the history of Lyon. 

The size of this Lyonnaise piece (293cm or 115inches) is more imposing than the presentation armoires from the neighboring and sometimes stylistically similar regions of Burgundy and Dauphiné. Each door here is comprised of three paneled sections with the largest above and the smallest in the center. The owls head or parchment moldings around these center panels are fairly atypical. The side posts of this armoire feature a sculpted profile of a Roman Emperor from the time of ancient Gaul. Lyon or Lugdunum was then the capital of the Gauls during the Roman occupation. Perhaps this profile is that of emperor Claude, Auguste, or Tibère (surely copied from the profile on an ancient coin), but an analysis of their noses would be required to know for sure ;).

Dimensions: H: 115 in.     L: 68 in.     D: 30 in.  

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Circa 1810, this daybed or alcove bed can also be used in a living space as a couch. The frame is of solid mahogany, veneered in mahogany to showcase the flame effect present across the best grain of the rare wood. 

Bronze ornamentation representative of the Empire period enriches the sides that face away from the wall. The detached columns are capped with Ionic capitals and triumphant angels meet in the center of the facade panel. 

L: 76 in.     D: 53 in. 

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"My grandfather had his bed-chambers fitted up with alcoves, a French fashion not often adopted in America."

- Jefferson's granddaughter, Ellen, in a letter to Henry S. Randall

This armoire from the final quarter of the 18th century, circa 1780, is emblematic of fine furniture made in Provence, the South of France, specifically the city of Nîmes (where the fabric denim gets its name - denim or “de Nimes” - a durable fabric died blue with indigo grown in the region).

More exceptionally, this piece is a trace of a specific Southern French maker, one of the most singular and talented of the period; master furniture maker Pierre Pillot (1748-1822). Pillot comes to mind whenever one encounters an armoire Nîmoise such as this but which presents a high overall quality of execution and a real dexterity in the carvings. Pillot first studied in Paris under Matthieu de Beauve, and so when Pillot moves from Paris to Nîmes in 1776 he brings the excellence of Parisian woodworking to his Southern French workshop. Pillot luckily left more specific criteria we use today in attributing works to his hand, namely his very memorable and pronounced use of neoclassical design and decor elements (the prominent greek frieze underneath the top cornice of this piece, and the unusual squared and tapered feet which end in squared and tapered hooves).

Pierre Pillot’s Parisian mentor was also one of the first master furniture makers to pioneer the use of neoclassicism, and thus Pillot deploys this Parisian trend in Provence where most masters are working exclusively in the curvilinear “style fleuri.” This piece does exhibit much of this anti-classical rococo one expects on furniture from this time and region. The usual attributes of an armoire provençale are present here; a policeman’s hat cornice, doors divided into three molded panels, a bottom entablature sculptured in high relief.

What’s remarkable here about Pillot, is that he didn’t just superficially decorate a fundamentally rococo, curvilinear piece with some neoclassical sculpture. He actually conceived an armoire here which integrates these two opposite styles into its very design. So we have a purely transitional piece which is equal parts of two different styles, one part organic, rococo movement, and another; rectilinear neoclassical order.

The side posts are angled to catch the light, and this is continued up into the top cornice and town into the squared neoclassical feet. Furthermore, the hinges further this angularity by being octagonal and not rounded. We notice how the outer moldings of the doors contain subtle notches, right angles discreetly occurring around otherwise totally curvilinear panels and moldings within.

The monogram at the top of the piece, “JC” represents the initials of a couple for whom this was commissioned as a wedding gift. We notice how this emblem is shrouded in neoclassical laurels or olive branches, and coiffed with a typical Louis XVI period ribbon motif. Inversely, the lower traverse presents another wedding emblem, an openwork carved basket of flowers which is shrouded there rather by stylized rococo motifs.

Inside the piece, the left door has retained its original heart-shaped handle, and the right door still presents this piece’s original and ornate looking mechanism (an unusual one which is in line with the overall quality of this armoire). The original shelving, although slightly warped with age, has been retained, along with the row of drawers inside the piece. The drawer frames are joined by single dovetails fixed by one hand forged nail, as was the practice in the 18th century. The drawer wood is also simple pine which is another hallmark of pre-industrial period pieces which feature less visible or purely functional parts in less noble wood with often rudimentary joinery. The sides of the piece are exceptionally held together by late 18th century original screws and metal plates (a rare and high quality joinery technique as opposed to the usual wooden dowels).

Pierre Pillot, or the “Master of Nîmes,” is remembered today as the most important 18th century furniture maker in the South of France. Some of his work is conserved in the Nimes municipal museum and in the celebrated Musée Fabre in Montpellier.

Height: 108 in. Depth: 27 in. (30.5 at crown) Width: 59 in. (68.5)

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One of the great Italian masters of the 18th century, Panini is most remembered for his depictions of Rome, his portrait of Pope Benedict XIV, and for his capriccios. As in the painting above, his nostalgic and grand vistas of Roman ruins are arranged in impossible and therefore capricious ways. The Pantheon lays in the background as the statue of Marcus Aurelius on a horse is the picture’s main focal point. Guards, citizens, and even a little dog bustle around with the statue of Silenus cradling the infant Dionysus (now in the Louvre) to the left. Panini signed only a small portion of his workshop’s output, probably the works he excluseively painted, (two of these signed works are displayed in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art). As with paintings such as this one, he would oversee design and then finish the more complicated parts of the work, adding fine detail and painting human figures. *Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 2015. Private Collection, Paris 2019.

Dimensions: 39 x 47 inches

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A very fine and rare Charles X period dressing table circa 1830, in rose- wood with fine incrustations of lemonwood. The Charles X period represents the height of the art of marquetry in European Furniture, especially in French history. Intricate palmettes and scrolling foliage motifs are inlaid on all sides of the table, the drawer facade, and the console legs which support a white Carrara marble top. This piece rests on four rollers and the drawer reveals several compartments and a leather topped writing surface. The style is named after King Charles X who reigned from 1824-1830, and is remembered as one of the most exquisite styles from the pre-industrial era.

H: 59 in. L: 32.5 in. D: 17 in.

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A handsome secrétaire à abattant in flame mahogany, opening by a top drawer dissimulated in the cornice, a fall front writing surface, and three lower drawers.

The circa 1820 desk is topped with “Belgian black” marble. A type of dark limestone found in several sites in Belgium, and a common choice for pieces of this masculine and austere neoclassical style.

Pilasters with gilded bronze corinthian capitals frame the façade of the piece. The key escutcheons are also in gilded bronze but they, as well as the other hardware, have then dirtied with age and were then varnished. The new owner of this piece could remove them for cleaning if a much brighter gilded effect is desired.

The fall front is covered in green leather, a color choice which contrasts the red of the mahogany, but was also thought to be good for the eyes. Secret drawers deploy inside at the touch of hidden buttons.

Height: 56.25 inches. Length: 39 inches. Depth: 15.5 inches.

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As with some of the artifacts at Myers & Monroe, anecdotal documentation pertaining to the previous owners of this set of chairs will be provided. This pair of uniquely designed and well executed armchairs and pair of side chairs is what remains from a much larger set. Although this is not a unique and unheard of model of chair, it is certainly one that stands out in design and quality from the majority of models of the period. Through markings on the chairs, and the family genealogy of the previous owners (Réné & Aude d’Aboville) many possibilities arise as to the likely original owners.

One of the Aboville’s direct anscestors was a Napoleonic General whose name is etched into the Arc de Triomphe, and Réné’s cousin was the first man to row across the Atlantic Ocean in 1980. They thus were amused that the last of their family chairs would cross the same body of water. Inventory markings on the chairs trace them to their ancestor by marriage Octave Tournouer whose chateau “Saint-Hilaire des Noyers” has since left the family. Tournouer purchased the chateau 50 years after the chairs were made, which could suggest the chairs were inherited by his wife whose grandfather was the official doctor of King Charles X. With an abundance of plausible original owners throughout all sides of the Aboville family history, however, narrowing the provenance down to a specific person is probably impossible. Although these details do not effect the price of the chairs, it is entertaining to pass them along with an unbroken story.

The attractive pediment atop the straight backs is one of the more exceptional design elements of these chairs. One close up image shows this motif of two opposing consoles with finely carved lotus flowers that issue from a carved rosace. The feet are in the form of a cuisse de grenouille or a “frogs thigh.” This plusher form eclipses the simpler and sharper “saber” legs seen on chairs from the Empire period. The needlepoint was allegedly knitted by Aude’s great-great-grandmother during the 1860s when Napoleon’s grandson was in power. This makes sense, as Napoleonic bees would have been a bad idea when these chairs were made (circa 1825) not long after Waterloo.

Armchair: H: 38 in. L: 23 in. D: 20 in.

Sidechair: H: 35.5 in. L: 18 in. D: 17 in.

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A rare model of round table from the early Charles X period in mahogany with an artfully beveled marble top. Later on in the 1820s, more distinctly Charles X style variants of this models appear in rosewood with fine incrustations of lemonwood or holly wood.

The table is supported by a square platform resting on four carved lions claw feet with original casters. This platform is joined to the top by a baluster finished with mahogany flutes.

Diameter: 39.5 inches Height: 30 inches.

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A very fine fall front desk from the Charles X period circa 1820-25. The frame is made of oak, and the very well preserved veneer is a still glowing birdseye maple with fine incrustations of amaranth wood. The Charles X period, on the whole, and thus specifically this piece, demonstrate the height of the art of marquetry in furniture history. It is also one of the rarest of the core decorative arts styles in France due to it’s short-lived nature, socio-economics of the time that rendered fewer people capable of affording such luxury in the wake of the Napoleonic wars.

The blond colored wood is a semantic reaction to the dark mahogany used during the preceding Napoleonic/Empire period. As the Empire style triumphantly boasted “we are as grand as Ancient Rome,” the Charles X style marks the beginning of the romantic period with a softer aesthetic that says “we miss Ancient Rome.” The stark difference between these respective neoclassical styles, 1810 and 1825, demonstrate how furniture reveals the ideas, aspirations and the nature of each era.

This desk, in coherence with the quality of execution evident at first glance, comprises all the features of the finest models of the time (counterbalanced fall front writing surface, exquisite inlay and mirror inside the inner gallery, diamond shaped key columns, and an unusually vivid blue marble top).

H: 60.5 in. W: 36.5 in. D: 15.25 in.

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A fine chest of drawers from the late Charles X Period, with scrolling foliage marquetry on each drawer front, and resting on two console feet inlaid with scrolling lotus flowers. Exceptionally, the sides of this commode are inlaid with Greek key borders that frame eight pointed stars, lending the profiles a sharper, more geometric, and startling aesthetic.

By the end of the 1820s, the wood scheme of the style inverts such that pieces are now predominantly dark with light inlay as opposed to the opposite. The darker, second half of the decade, pieces were for a while considered to be an afterthought very much second in elegance and innovation to the maple Charles X pieces that preceded them. It turns out, centuries later and preferences aside, that this second version of the style best showcases the startlingly crisp marquetry for which the style is so prized.

H: 36 inches. L: 51 inches. D: 24 inches.

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An exceptional two-tiered presentation cabinet in solid mahogany, richly molded and sculpted, complete with original steel locking mechanisms and keys (which are surprisingly engraved with rococo filigree). The facades of the inner shelves have been beveled and shaped to match the mouvement of the exterior. The dense exotic wood allowed for very crisp carvings while also rendering the masterful curves of this piece very difficult to make.

“Port furniture” is a term which covers the distinctive types of pieces made in port cities from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. The final two thirds of the eighteenth century are the golden age of port furniture, and the most quintessential pieces were made in solid mahogany. This red, exotic hardwood was found in abundance in port cities, the most important of which for memorable furniture production being bordeaux, Nantes, Saint-Malo, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Dunkirk. Although prized for its color and density, mahogany was not an expensive wood at thee time. It was used as ballast in ships that would have otherwise been too light to float back to Europe after unloading their cargo in Cuba, Haiti, or the Dominican Republic.

Knowing which logs would yield specific and exquisite grain patters, and then processing them into beautiful panels was nevertheless a master’s task. Much of the choicest mahogany was sent to inland production centers such as Paris where it was made into veneers for luxury furniture. The port cities, however, disposing of such great amounts of this strange wood, are remembered today for these sophisticated pieces made entirely in solid mahogany (except for the backs which were often oak).

Port period pieces are reputed for being finer and more sophisticated than similar works originating from similarly sized inland cities. This is in part due to the sleek and dense mahogany which is impervious to insects and which hardly seems to age. But a more intellectual and sociological approach reveals that the artisans living in ports were more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than their inland counterparts. Unlike other regional cities, the ports were centers of commerce whose inhabitants would have encountered people and objects passing through from all over the world. Port master furniture makers would have been able to examine the finest pieces from Paris which journeyed to their town for export. They also had greater access to travel and to exchanges with other makers who traveled as well.

The must luxurious port pieces, testaments to a maker’s uncanny virtuosity, are typically from Bordeaux (the sort of capital of port furniture). This exceptional two-tiered presentation cabinet displays all the verve of such a port masterpiece but its city of origin is in fact the northern port of Dunkirk. A certain Dutch influence (certainly with the undulating cornice) as well as the stylistic markers of the region of Flanders are evident in this piece. Brass hardware, a metal which resists the corrosive seaside air, is also a sign of an origine Dunquerquoise. Pieces from this smaller port are rarer than pieces from bordeaux, and it is especially rare to encounter a Dunkirk port piece which rivals the finest bordelaise production of the day.

Height: 112 inches. Length: 59 inches. Depth: 24 inches.

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A lyre-legged writing table in mahogany from the Chateau de Presle, former property of the Carnot Family.

This Louis-Philippe period piece dates from a time when furniture becomes more of a product than a work of art. It is more important here than with other periods to choose pieces with great discernment, as meaningful and aesthetically interesting pieces become the exception rather than the rule (starting around 1835).

This type of table with its richly sculpted lyre shaped legs, is an example of a piece from this time which still bears the traits of artfully designed and fabricated collectible furniture made during the previous three centuries. A letter found inside the table links it to a notable French presidential family who sold their family estate some years ago. (Myers & Monroe acquired the table when it was still locked shut and missing its key). This does not affect the value of the table in a literal sense, but it explains the origin of such an atypically nice piece that comes from a time when most pieces become of lesser interest for collectors.

H: 28.5 inches. L: 31.5 inches. D: 22 inches.

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An exceptional restoration period console table in flame mahogany with a sea green marble and secret compartment below. The exquisitely sculpted consoles issue and terminate in scrolls which are decorated with a finely carved rosace. The lateral lines on all sides of the consoles are a rather unusual feature, which might support the claim that this piece was ordered for a special interior of the day (perhaps matching the mantle of the room).

Another testament to the quality of this piece is the underlying bevel and second layer to the marble which was sculpted to fit into a recession at the top of the table.

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A pair of armchairs stamped by the last of the legendary Jacob family dynasty of master furniture makers. Their family firm worked for practically all of the courts of Europe and is responsible for some of the most significant chairs ever made in Furniture History.

This pair is owed to Georges-Alphonse Jacob-Desmalter circa 1830. The style could be considered early Louis Philippe with a late Charles X influence evident in the presence of inlayed strips of blond holly wood on a dark mahogany background. Without entering the realm of gilded wood state furniture, these chairs represent the height of quality and style for chairs of their time, the final years of art furniture before the onset of the industrial revolution.

An identical model (albeit of the maker’s slightly earlier production, in maple and not mahogany) is featured in Denise Ledoux-Lebarde’s dictionary; the most significant work written about 19th century furniture.

Semainier in French or perhaps “weekly” in English, is the name given to this piece with seven drawers; one for each day of the week.

The late Louis XVI period one here is an example of how brass filets were added to traditional Louis XVI style pieces after the French Revolution and throughout the 1790s. These eye catching brass elements were a way to change and enhance a style which had become associated with the wrong side of politics (before a totally new style eclipses the Louis xvi style all together by 1800).

This brief and late variant of the Louis XVI style (~1770-1789) is generally associated with the period around 1790-1800 when it became most popular, although it was produced earlier.

Although not one of a kind, it is certainly not the usual kind of piece that comes to mind for the Louis XVI style. It is of relatively interesting for American collectors as Fifth President James Monroe brought back a series of furniture in this peculiar “brassy” Louis XVI style after his ambassadorship in France from 1794-96. It was on a secretary desk in the style of this semainier that he is said to have drafted the famous Monroe Doctrine which set the tone of American foreign policy ever since.

Dimensions: H: 5ft 9 in

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This two-tiered walnut cabinet, from the Louis XIV period, dates from the final quarter of the 17th century, probably circa 1690. This is a quintessential model of the famous cabinet which has been copied and reinterpreted for centuries after the original period. Homme debout or “standing man” is a legendary name said to have been given to these pieces at the time of the French Revolution. If the central drawer boards were removed, a gentleman could stand inside the “standing man” to hide or wait for the right moment to pounce.

Whether or not this adage is anything more than entertaining, with a little imagination, these pieces do appear like a standing man. They are comprised by a bottom half resting on two feet, above which is a drawer that could ressemble a belt which is below the upper tier or torso which is itself capped by a large cornice or head.

The exceptional aspects of this piece are its conservation of the original bun feet and metal hardware (including two apparently original keys). Although the design and decor of diamond point doors, rich architectural moldings of the prominent cornice, and beveled recessed panels, are not eccentric, it is rare to encounter a Louis XIV “homme debout” which was arguably made in the 17th century. The vast majority of these pieces are immediately recognizable as later copies or interpretations which betray the image so nicely exemplified in this high quality piece of late 17th century domestic furniture.

Finally, regional production centers had not distinguished themselves by developing styles in the 17th century that were nearly as distinct as they became one hundred years later. For such typical seventeenth century pieces which were made in several regions, it is sometimes difficult to determine their region of origin. Without being conclusive, the large dimensions of this piece (larger than the usual dimensions of these already large pieces) and the prominent cornice point towards an Eastern French origin.

H: 7ft 8 inches. L: 5ft 3 inches. D: 29.5 inches.

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This two-tiered buffet, or four doored armoire, is a Lyonnaise piece from the French Renaissance, dating from the middle of the 16th century circa 1550. One notes the architectural form in the style of the Fontainebleau school which King François I established to bring the art of the Italian Renaissance to France and to surpass it. The lines of the work are somewhat rigid but very rhythmic, with fluted pilasters adorned with ionic capitals and overall abundant sculpture which is not exuberant.

The decor is typical of the 16th century with tear shaped gadrooning around the center of the piece, heads of figures in high-relief on the doors which are centered on a background of interlacing foliage motifs in low-relief.

One notes the presence of fleurs de lys in the interlacing motifs around the heads sculpted into the bottom doors. These heads are perhaps those of the owners of the piece, and the fleurs de lys indicate their rank.

The quality of the work is very high, with the same level of care taken to the decor of the sides in addition to the façade. The construction, in walnut, is typical of finer pieces of the time when this wood was replacing the use of oak. The veins of the walnut are visible through the layers of patina.

Historically, this piece its mosts interesting as it is from about the earliest point in time when it is still possible to occasionally find pieces of furniture. Earlier gothic period pieces are rarer and generally of less aesthetic interest, not to mention much older than wood is able to last. This exceptional buffet dates to the apex of the city of Lyon in French History. After the 16th century, Lyon looses importance as a point of commerce between Paris and Mediterranean ports. Commerce shifts to the Atlantic ports with the focus being goods coming from the Americas during the 17th and certainly 18th centuries.

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An example of a rare facet of Charles X period furniture made in the neo-gothic style. One of the first of a series of stylistic revivals observed during the 19th century was that of the 14th-15th century gothic. This trend began in England in the 18th century, and was popular in France especially among members of the nobility returning to the continent after years of exile after the French Revolution and the years of Napoleon.

The Charles X style is fundamentally a romanic one, which gains in elegance what it looses in majesty from the previous empire style. It is a highly refined, usually through hyper-precise marquetry work, which conjures up a sort of nostalgic and beautiful vision of the ancient republics. Near the end of the Charles X style (circa 1828-30) this romantic neoclassicism shifts to romanticizing the gothic period. This was particularly appealing to the catholic nobility who had been briefly restored to positions of real power and who longed for the bygone days of chivalry, lords and ladies (in a world which was becoming progressively more industrialized and “modern”).

The exceptional grain of the flame mahogany on this secrétaire à abattant was planned to flow up the façade of the piece undisturbed by the seams of the drawers and fall front. Thin gothic pilasters adorn the side posts of the piece, contrasting the massive detached corinthian columns sometimes found on Napoleonic fall front desks. The fall front writing surface is covered in green leather which is embossed with gothic style motifs like the rose window at its center. The white Carrara marble is a typical choice for Neo-gothic Charles X pieces, as it contrasts the dark mahogany. Thin filets of holly wood were favored on this piece over a sometimes busier albeit more expensive and elaborate inlay pattern. These understated filets privilege the quality of the wood grain as the primary aesthetic, and they frame the drawers and conjoin to a pointed Gothic arch atop each side post.

Secret compartments deploy at the touch of hidden buttons inside the desk, a testament to these pieces as secret-ary and not simply secretary desks.

H: 58 inches. L: 39.5 inches. D: 18 inches.

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The term “gaslighting” originates from the 1938 play and 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife into thinking she is mentally ill by dimming their gas-fueled lights and telling her she is hallucinating.

This pair of finely chiseled, gilded bronze wall lights is a better form of gaslighting (formerly gas, now electrified). These are fine examples of unique and well executed decorative art from the sometimes quality-impaired later 19th century circa 1880. Gas fuel was a primary source of lighting in Europe from about 1800 to 1880 when it was progressively replaced with electricity.

H: 13 inches.

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A one of a kind slant front desk made in the east of France, circa 1750. This is a custom ordered piece, with unique dimensions and decor which is also emblematic of the Louis XV style. Slant front desks were progressively replaced by roll-top or cylindrical secretaries shortly after the middle of the 18th century.

This is logically the work of one of the few but renowned master furniture makers working in this eastern region who were producing fine veneered pieces. Its singularity, state of conservation, and exceptional size, as well as the unique herald linking it to a particular family [Albert de la Salle, baron de Dillingen (1722-1769)] make it arguably the most significant slant front desk of eastern French origin.

As with most slant front desks, the slope of the fall front is part of the decor. All of the sides here have been finished, making this piece appropriate for use away from the wall. One also notes how the panels of the sides have been subtly but lavishly contoured.

The mercury gilded bronzes are atypical for what one usually encounters, but so is the piece itself. It is hard to determine if it is more unlikely that they are original, or if this desk was the object of an astonishingly elaborate exchange of bronzes (notably the textured filets of bronze which follow the contour of the entire piece).

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The seventeenth century begins in France in the wake of civil wars which had kept most furniture very mobile. Even as peace returned, society kept their habit of moving from castle to castle, and furniture to garnish every habitation and even every room was still rare. King Henri IV influences the national lifestyle by prohibiting the construction of fortified homes, moats, and by ordering that windows must be larger and less defensive. A return to comfort, luxury, and thus furniture that is not portable slowly occurs.

This presentation cabinet, from the second half of the 17th century, was necessary to build in two tiers just to enable its initial installation. The piece itself, the radial “cake point” motifs on its doors and sides, which present a rather lively optical illusion, and the spiraled “Jesuit columns” are emblematic of the Louis XIII style (which corresponds loosely to the reign of the monarch 1610-1643). This original French style, characterized by turning and the use of walnut and oak, evolved throughout most of the 17th century and was still produced rurally well into the 18th century.

The finesse of the hinges, the joinery, the width of structural boards, and traces of hand tooling (especially the back planks chiseled to fit into the frame) are all congruent with 17th c. manufacture. The hand forged nails on this buffet, with large and irregular heads, are also typical of the period.

The austere straightness, its sharp angles and absence of sculpture exemplify one end of the Louis XIII style. The purity of its profiles and proportions, in this case a majestic size, and the richness of the walnut, yield the piece’s artistic value. Furthermore, very precise restorations on the back spiraled columns and additions to the multileveled cornices are testaments to its value and the care it has received over time.

H: 94 in. L: 68.5 in. D: 30.5 in.

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Circa 1715, this presentation armoire is a fine example of the pure Lyonnaise style. This “urban” example of lyonnaise 18th century furniture is distinguished from pieces made in the environs of the city which would be smaller, less refined, and influenced by the styles of neighboring regions.

Lyon is well renowned for its furniture production during the 18th century, and its style is among the most celebrated and successful provincial styles which would include provençal, normand, and bordelais.

The somewhat rigid structure of this piece is still attuned to the seventeenth century, as is the flat lower cornice which rests on bun feet. The form, however, is softened by early 18th century rococo curves and the bowed “policeman’s hat” cornice. If you see a policeman today wearing a hat in the form of this cornice, however, he is probably not a policeman. The walnut, pronounced moldings, the floral decor between the panels of the doors, the “doubled” hinges, and the original locking mechanisms are all characteristic of lyonnais production.

The most striking aspect of this armoire is the large sculpted motif above the doors; a sort of blank, bombé herald which is enclosed here by a rococo shell, called a “miroir” in French. This type of ornament is typical of the Renaissance, a time period during which Lyon was a great city, as important as Paris. One encounters Lyonnaise Renaissance period buffets with pediments that feature this prominent sculpted “mirror.”

Many thanks to the administrator of the French reference site, Meubliz.com, for his expertise and commentary on this artifact.

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Former property of an acclaimed painter who worked at the French Court during the Second Empire: A refined, romantic, and fantastic 19th century expression of the late 15th century high gothic style.

This updated gothic style is referred to as “troubadour” and it was especially popular in French aristocratic circles who yearned for the bygone days of chivalry, lords and ladies. It is important to differentiate very fine custom ordered pieces in the gothic style, commissioned by personalities close to the court, from standard 19th century gothic “inspired” pieces.

The quality and complexity of the sculpture evident in this two tiered piece, plus the prominence of Royal Fleur de Lys emblems, distinguish it from more frequently encountered pieces in the gothic style made during the 19th century. This credenza is in fact on par with pieces in the gothic style exhibited in 2019 at the “Paris Romantique” exhibition which showcased French masterpieces of the romantic period.

The quill written label still conserved on the back confirms first impressions. It indicates that this piece was delivered to Félix Brissot de Warville (1808-1892) at the Palace of Compiègne. Now remembered as a painter whose works are conserved in various public collections, (including the Boston Museum of Fine Art), Brissot de Warville was serving as the estate administrator of the Royal Palace of Compiègne during the Second Empire.

The original home for this piece was built by King Louis XV, and it was one of three seats of royal government (the others being Versailles and Fontainebleau). Napoleon ordered it to become an imperial domain in 1807, at which point the palace was restored by the preeminent interior architects and cabinetmakers of the time. This piece entered the palace sometime after 1852 when the 2nd French Empire was created (or 1856 when Napoleon’s grandson, the then reigning Napoleon III made Compiègne his autumn residence).

Although aesthetics and quality lend value and significance to this piece, it is interesting to examine these other details which shed light on its perhaps unexpected pertinence to History and Art History. For instance, Felix Brissot de Warville’s grandfather was a key figure in the French Revolution and a far more conspicuous figure than his grandson. Jacques Pierre Brissot de Warville was the man who was given the keys to the Bastille when the iconic prison was liberated on the first 14th of July. Without delving further into the extensive biography of Brissot de Warville Senior, it is important to note that, in Royal service, he traveled to America in 1788 to study how to emancipate enslaved populations. He played a critical role in abolishing French colonial slavery before he was guillotined in 1793.

Dimensions: Height: 94.5 in. Width: 37.4 in. Depth: 24.5 in.

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These following images reveal other memorable pieces which have come through the gallery (from a superbe Bordelaise armoire issued from the workshop responsible for an identical model in the Bordeaux Museum to a Gothic throne with period panels). As inventory changes, some works are sold directly before appearing on this website. Please do not hesitate to write via the contact page if you are looking for a specific piece which may not yet be presented online.