19th Century French Mahogany and Marble Bowfront Sideboard

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19th Century French Mahogany and Marble Bowfront Sideboard

About the Item

This is an exceptional antique French "plum pudding mahogany" and ormolu-mounted marble topped bowfront side cabinet, circa 1880 in date, in fabulous Empire style with room for all your plates, china, glassware and cutlery. It bears the stamp on the reverse of the renowned Paris retailer and cabinet maker: Mon Deville J. Maurert Succ 28bis Avenue de L'Opera et Rue Gaillon, 6 Paris It has four useful and capacious drawers in the frieze, above four panelled cupboard doors and it is surmounted with a superb and substantial shaped green "Verde Antico" bowfront marble top with stunning shaped edge. There are four moulded cupboard doors which open to reveal capacious cupboards, each with a central shelf and the shelves are adjustable. The sideboard stands on a plinth base that is raised on ormolu-mounted bun feet. It has been crafted from the very best quality "plum-pudding mahogany" and is smothered in fabulous high quality ormolu handles and mounts reminiscent of the Empire style with lozenge surrounds, acanthus, laurels, ribbons and rosettes. Complete with working locks and the original keys. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and polished in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 98 x width 221 x depth 60 Dimensions in inches: Height 3 feet, 3 inches x width 7 feet, 3 inches x depth 2 feet Deville The Parisian firm of J. P. Deville (recorded circa 1870 as Deville Frères and in 1880 as Ch. Deville) was according to Denise LeDoux-Lebard, “French furniture in the 19th century,” known to be a very important upholsterer and furniture merchant. He had a brilliant clientele and received commissions from the Duchesses de Berry, the Duchesse d'Orléans and the Duc de Nemours. He exhibited at the Universal Exhibitions of 1855 and 1878, in Paris. The company relocated several times in Paris, most probably due to their growing success before settling at Rue Gaillon, in the 1860s. The bronze is often stamped to the reverse 'DEV' from the bronze master models. Empire style is an early-19th-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830. The style originated in and takes its name from the rule of Napoleon I in the First French Empire, where it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state. The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States and to the Regency style in Britain. The previous style was called Louis XVI style, in France. The Empire style was based on aspects of the Roman Empire. It is the second phase of Neoclassicism which is also called "Directoire", after a government system. Furniture typically had symbols and ornaments borrowed from the glorious ancient Greek and Roman empires. The furniture was made from heavy woods such as mahogany and ebony, imported from the colonies, with dark finishes often with decorative bronze mounts. Marble tops were popular as were Egyptian motifs like sphinxes, griffins, urns and eagles and the Napoleonic symbols, the eagle, the bee, the initials "I" and a large "N." Gilded bronze (ormolu) details displayed a high level of craftsmanship. Ormolu - (from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'. The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object. No true ormolu was produced in France after around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury. Therefore, other techniques were used instead but nothing surpasses the original mercury-firing ormolu method for sheer beauty and richness of colour. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt (also known as vermeil). Mahogany is probably one of the largest ‘families’ of hardwood, having many different varieties within its own species. Mahogany has been used for centuries in ship building, house building, furniture making etc and is the core structure of just about every 19th century vanity box, dressing case or jewellery box. It became more of a Victorian trend to dress Mahogany with these decorative veneers, such as Rosewood, Kingwood, Burr Walnut and Coromandel, so that the actual Mahogany was almost hidden from view. Mahogany itself is a rich reddish brown wood that can range from being plain in appearance to something that is so vibrant, figured and almost three dimensional in effect. Although Mahogany was most often used in its solid form, it also provided some beautifully figured varieties of veneer like ‘Flame’ Mahogany and ‘Fiddleback’ Mahogany (named after its preferred use in the manufacture of Fine musical instruments). Cuban Mahogany was so sought after, that by the late 1850's, this particular variety became all but extinct. Please feel free to email or call us to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.

Dimensions:
Height: 38.59 in (98 cm)Width: 87.01 in (221 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)
Style:
Empire (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Mahogany,Marble,Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1880
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 079691stDibs: LU95067454563