Inlay Models and Miniatures

This exceptional, 18 carat gold Easter egg was crafted by the famous London-based royal jewellers, Asprey & Co. The piece was then retailed by Garrard & Co, who once worked in collaboration with Asprey, producing luxury jewellery and silver for an elite clientele. The egg has been crafted from gold filigree — that is, gold wires interwoven to make a delicate lace-like pattern. The gold is arranged to form the image of a peacock, with a magnificent fanned train, composed of red, dark blue and green coloured plique-à-jour enamel. The light blue body of the peacock, and its long swirling light and dark blue tail feathers, have been crafted from intricate guilloché enamel, which is often found on Fabergé style eggs...

An early 19th century French marquetry commode de maitrise, or miniature sample commode. Made veneer of mahogany with pine and beech as a secondary w...

Fine early 19th Century Indian bone inlaid padouk miniature secretary, Monghyr, the two doors inlaid with flowers, vines and birds opening to reveal a fall front writing surface, the...

Early 19th Century walnut commode, the inlaid top with cookie corners over turned and fluted legs flanking three inlaid drawers and standing on turned turnip feet, French or Italian ...

An antique handmade boat model on pedestal from the early 20th century, with bone inlay over wood. Charming us with its exquisite craftsmanship, this antique handmade boat model from...

An 18th century French Louis XVI marquetry secretaire, or secretary desk with bookcase. Beautifully made with book matched veneer of mahogany and fine inlay of walnut and mahogany. I...

A very rare Louis XVI period serinette or bird organ in the form of a transitional style gilt bronze mounted and marquetry inlaid miniature commode in the manner of gilbert, by Robert Richard, Paris. With a label for ' RICHARD - maitre facteur d’orgues et mécanicien / Rue de richelieu à la bibliothèque Du Roy / Paris 1775'. This rare Serinette or Bird Organ has a wooden cylinder barrel mounted by twelve pins and linked to twelve sound pipes. A crank attached to the front panel controls the bellows that activates the mechanism. The exceptional marquetry inlaid case is in the form of a gilt bronze mounted transitional style miniature commode. The top of the commode is inlaid with a landscape scene with buildings, opening to an interior with an allegory of Love Conquering All, represented by two doves perching on a bow and quiver. The front of the commode depicts two obelisks centred by a Fine musical trophy and each side is inlaid with panels depicting the Medici Vase. The back of the commode is decorated with floral marquetry. A closely related Serinette dating from circa 1770, also in the form of a miniature commode, with the marquetry case stamped by the master marqueteur Leonard Boudin, is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The term serinette is derived from serine, French for finch. The instrument worked like a small barrel organ with a barbed cylinder, wind box and lead pipes and produced a high, thin sound in imitation of birds. Other versions included a merline, which copied blackbirds and a turlutaine, which copied curlews. Used to teach caged birds to sing tunes, different barrels could be inserted to train different birds. It first appeared in France circa 1730 and became a popular drawing-room toy for fashionable women. An interesting painting commissioned in 1751 for Louis XV by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin and now in the collection of the Louvre, depicts a refined lady seated in her salon playing a bird organ to encourage her bird to sing. Robert Richard Robert Richard was a Parisian organ and harpsichord maker and the mécanicien du roi to Louis XV and Louis XVI and was based in the Bibliothèque du Roi in rue de Richelieu. Initially working alongside the Cliquot family who acted as 'facteur d'orgue du Roi', he is recorded as building an organ for the church of Notre-Dame de Quebec, in Montreal in 1753 (destroyed in 1759) and as the inventor of a mechanical concert shown in an engraving by d'Eisen in 1769. Canon Jean Marie De La Corne described Robert Richard as : ''Le plus habile ouvrier de paris, fameux mechanitien et Homme de probité''. French, Dated 1775. Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, The French Furniture of the 17th century, The Editions of the Amateur, 2008 Count Francois de Salverte, Cabinetmakers of the 18th century, Editions of Art and History, 1934 Raymond Russell, Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments, Volume I - Keyboard Instruments,(London, 1968; p. 69.) Elizabeth Miller...

This Fine, circular micromosaic plaque shows four doves drinking water from a golden bowl, upon which they perch. The Classical design for the mosaic is taken from one found in the Roman Emperor Hadrian's villa in the 2nd century AD. Hadrian's mosaic, which was on the floor as is traditional, was probably based on a design by Sosus of Pergamon, a Greek master artist. Known as the Capitoline Doves...

A large circular micromosaic panel representing the so called "Tomb of Cecilia Metella on the Appian way" near Rome. This plate shows superior quality and m...

Cornice da Tavolo argentata con Commesso di Fiori inizi 1900 di forma ovale con un profilo perlinato ed incernierato nella parte destra in modo tale da poter aprire la cornice che presenta due piedi ed una cimasa riccamente decorati da volute finemente incise nei bordi. La cornice di questa placca ovale è realizzata in lamina di ottone di buon spessore ed argentata con una marchio sul retro con le iniziali  MV in campo ovale con figura di un martello al centro. Il commesso è realizzato su lastra di ardesia o lavagna con l’intarsio di una rosa al centro e dei fiorellini di campo. Degne di nota le foglie verdi per le quali sono state scelte pietre dure con sfumature chiaroscurali naturali che danno una bella profondità alla composizione floreale. All’interno dell’antina ovale troviamo una fodera verde stampata in oro con la dicitura G. Montelatici 7 Lung’Arno Corsini Firenze con giglio fiorentino al centro.  Giovanni Montelatici...

Miniature parquetry two drawer bombe chest made in Italy. All sides including back are finished.

American Chippendale walnut and mahogany graduated five-drawer miniature chest of drawers with satinwood string inlay, inlaid escutcheons, original brass knobs and terminating on bra...

A beautifully made fully functional miniature chest of drawers. This three-drawer chest of mahogany with inlaid panels of satinwood and pencil inlay. Only 11 inches tall, this chest ...

The three drawers lined with jacquard silk pattern.

Micro mosaic Moorish pen holder: simply beautiful ! Elegant sitting on Your desk. It must not remain near heat sources because the mosaic could be damag...

A framed set of eleven micromosaic plaques of Italian monuments Italian, 19th century Measures: Height 22cm, width 21.5cm, depth 2.5cm Made du...