secretary Boulle tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, early 20th century

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secretary Boulle tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, early 20th century

About the Item

Napoleon III secretary in Boulle tortoiseshell marquetry and brass, patterned with interlacing, scrolls and foliage. Treated in false week : facade with 7 drawers : four drawers and a flap simulating three drawers. Theater with three drawers, two small and one large. Rich ornamentation of gilded bronzes with multiple ingot molds, caryatids and falls, rosettes. Top in white Carrara marble. Depth of working insert : 38 cm This elegant, finely crafted piece is ideal for an office or hallway. It has been renovated to a very high standard. ANDRÉ-CHARLES BOULLE (1642-1732) king's cabinetmaker Designated to the king by Colbert as "the most skilful in his trade", Boulle designed a large number of bronze and marquetry pieces, making him the first great cabinetmaker of 17th-18th-century French furniture. The creativity and richness of his furniture contributed to Versailles' reputation in this field. From 1672 onwards, Boulle designed all kinds of furniture for Louis XIV, his family and the Court, and his name is inseparable from the copper and tortoiseshell marquetry that made him such a success: the famous "Boulle marquetry". Although he was not the inventor, he created a new process for cutting the same motif from these two materials. The result is two panels: the "part" and the "counterpart". The first is copper on tortoiseshell, the second tortoiseshell on copper. In 1684-1692, the Grand Dauphin commissioned Boulle marquetry for the panelling and parquet flooring in his Versailles cabinet, which disappeared in the 18th century. Another major Boulle innovation was to apply bronzes to his furniture to protect the most sensitive parts. Mascarons, claws, friezes, foliage... invade consoles, desks and cabinets. Bronzes are also found on clocks, cartels, candelabras, inkwells... Boulle also designed large flat desks on legs, coffee tables, jewelry chests and monumental pendulum clocks for the king. The beauty and perfection of his furniture earned him immense fame in France and Europe: Philippe V of Spain and Maximilien-Emmanuel of Bavaria were among his prestigious clients. Paradoxically, Boulle often ran into financial trouble: the king had to intervene on several occasions to protect him from his creditors. Although his furniture went out of fashion after his death in 1732, it was successfully reproduced in the mid-18th century and especially during the Second Empire.

Similar to:
André-Charles Boulle (Cabinetmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 48.82 in (124 cm)Width: 26.38 in (67 cm)Depth: 14.18 in (36 cm)
Style:
Louis XV (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Bronze,Carrara Marble,Tortoise Shell,Blackened,Gilt,Inlay,Marquetry
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1900’s
Condition:
Repaired: Great care has been taken in restoring this piece of furniture : Our cabinetmaker restored the tortoiseshell marquetry and our marble mason repaired the carrara marble top (see pictures ). Minor structural damages.
Seller Location:
NICE, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9202236400822