19th Century Louis XV Style French Boulle Bureau Plat

A very fine and large French 19th century Louis XV style ormolu-mounted mahogany and kingwood three-drawer bureau plat attributed to Paul Sormani (French-Italian 1817-1877). The shaped rectangular top enclosing a gilt tooled brown leather writing surface within a molded border above a long central drawer enclosing a fine modeled mask of Hercules wearing the Nemean lion pelt centered by flat cast encadrements and rosewood veneered a quatre faces flanked by two short drawers with reticulated escutcheons of scantly clad frolicking putti and doves over gadrooned "C" scrolls, trellis patterned panels on a stylized shell within similarly framed encadrements raised on elegant cabriole legs surmounted by bearded satyr masks ending in acanthus case hairy paw feet beneath sides centering bacchic masks. Lock mechanism stamped W S M, 6068, a key (lacking skeleton key), and 148. Veuve Paul Sormani Et Fils was the widow of the highly esteemed furniture maker Paul Sormani (French-Italian 1817-1877). After his death around 1877 she and her son took over the management of the company continuing the tradition of producing fine French furniture of the highest calibre. An escutcheon and several mounts were examined on the reverse, and each was found to have the bronze master model initials "SJ:. Blue chalk inscription on underside Glle 117, Paris, circa 1880. Paul Sormani (1817-1877): Born in Venice, Paul Sormani set up in Paris in the middle of the 19th century. He specialized in creating furniture and works of art and was known for his high quality reproductions of Louis XV and XVI furniture...

Attractive Louis XV style bureau plat, gilt embossed tanned leather top writing surface centered on a beautiful satinwood veneered panel and...