Antique French Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk, circa 1850

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Antique French Pollard Oak Writing Table Desk, circa 1850

About the Item

A gorgeous antique French ormolu-mounted Pollard oak desk, circa 1850 in date. Featuring Pollard oak of wonderful color and of the very highest quality, with its striking sinuous serpentine sides this table is sure to get noticed wherever it is placed. It has seven drawers and is freestanding so that it can stand freely in the center of a room. There is a brass label in the central drawer with the name and address of the French artisan that made this fabulous piece: Ebenisterie D'Art J. Pietrasanta. 1 Rue de Chateauneuf Nice. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 80 x Width 114 x Depth 56 Height 63 x Width 33 - Kneehole Dimensions Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 7 inches x Width 3 feet, 9 inches x Depth 1 foot, 10 inches Height 2 feet, 1 inch x Width 1 foot, 1 inch - Kneehole Dimensions Pollard oak: Pollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Europe since medieval times and is practiced today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined height. The bole of the tree, constantly cut back over a period of years, will eventually form a lump, or ‘burr’, which when sawn for veneer, gives a lovely grained and swirling figure. The effect is similar to that of burr walnut with its distinctive speckled grain. Burrs, or ‘burls’, are growths which appear on the side of tree trunks, resulting from a tree undergoing some form of stress. They may be caused by an injury, virus or fungus. During the 19th century great strides were made in the mechanization of cabinet making. Marc Isambard Brunel [Isambard Kingdom’s father] built the first steam driven saw mill, and invented a circular saw that could be used to cut veneers thinly and evenly for the first time. He also developed the first hydraulic veneer press. The figured wood cut from burrs and pollards is notoriously difficult to cut and lay: The wild grain which makes it so attractive results in a very delicate and brittle veneer. The new machines enabled the Victorian craftsmen to make the most of these beautiful timbers. 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-colored 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, circa 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 color. 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). Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, mother-of-pearl, pewter, brass silver or shell) of different colors are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers. The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as Pietra Dura, for the "hardstones" used: Onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-17th century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing shell and brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs.

Dimensions:
Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 44.89 in (114 cm)Depth: 22.05 in (56 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Oak,Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1850-1859
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1850
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 074981stDibs: LU95065322643