Napoleon III Pietre Dure Bureau Plat by Gros

Form and function converge in this exceptional Louis XV-style bureau plat graced with eight elegant Sèvres Porcelain plaques. Framing these delightful, hand painted floral and fowl-themed plaques is a network of exquisite gilt bronze. Supporting the leather-topped table are graceful cabriole legs, a hallmark of fine Louis XV taste, that are crowned by gilt bronze caryatids and terminate in gilt bronze mounts. What makes this desk even more stunning is the inclusion of three concealed drawers that are opened only by the spring-loaded secret release mechanisms located underneath. The first porcelain mounted furnishings appeared sometime in the mid-18th century in the shops of the foremost Parisian art dealers. These furnishings successfully, and quite beautifully, married renowned Sèvres Porcelain with fine furniture to create a new segment of the decorative arts that appealed greatly to the aristocracy, especially women. The Duchesse de Mazarin, Comtesse du Barry, Marie-Antoinette and the Grand Duchess Maria...

This writing desk from the highly esteemed Thomas Chippendale is exceptionally rare and unique. The renowned cabinetmaker was the first craftsman to exhibit such a strong following that an entire style bears his name and not that of a monarch. He was famous for using the highest quality timbers, the finest quality mounts and for striving for perfection in every piece of furniture he created. Chippendale's clients included Catherine II of Russia, famed actor David Garrick...

This handsome library table is a remarkable example of the English furnishings that represented wealthy Victorian tastes. The piece is attributed to Holland & Sons, a firm regarded as one of the most important cabinetmakers of the era. Crafted of rich mahogany with gilt brass mounts and a tooled leather writing surface, this table characterizes the superb craftsmanship of Holland & Sons and exudes Victorian elegance. The well-known British cabinetmaking firm of Holland & Sons was considered the top of their class in their day. Found in 1803 by William Holland...

This superb mechanical desk by famed French ebeniste Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley is both an artistic and engineering achievement. A Parisian ca...

Superior craftsmanship and elegant bronze work characterize this tambour front roll top writing desk by François Linke, the most important French ébéniste of his time. Linke is celeb...

The exquisite art of pietre dure is at its absolute finest in this spectacular pair of Russian ormolu and malachite plinths. True works of art of the Restauration period, these plinths each feature a matching pietre dure mosaic crafted of the finest stones, all chosen to create a sense of depth and dimensionality in the final work. Depicting an onyx vase with tulips, roses, daffodils, magnolia and other flowers, these pietre dure panels are among the finest examples of this ancient art we have seen. The pietre dure is complemented by malachite panels of the highest quality, exhibiting exceptional depth through its extraordinary cellular structure. Malachite is one of Russia’s most precious stones, and its presence in these plinths indicates commission and ownership by an individual of considerable status. Mounted in an excellent stepped ormolu base, these plinths originally served as bases for vases or candelabra. The overall execution and appearance of these plinths is very characteristic of the taste associated with the immensely wealthy collector Nicolas Demidoff. As early as 1806, Demidoff had commissioned the Parisian goldsmith Henri August to supply a guéridon; in 1819, he ordered famed French bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire to supply mounts for a massive malachite vase (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), as well as a console table with legs in the form of Nike. Other commissions included a table given as a gift to Grand Duke Leopoldo II of Florence, now in the Pitti Palace. Demidoff eventually settled in Florence in 1822 and became Russian minister to the Tuscan Court. Elevated to the rank of Count of San Donato by the Grand Duke, he built a magnificent villa at San Donato on the site of lands formerly owned by the Medici. The villa was later inherited by Anatole, his son, Prince of San Donato, and there are records which confirm transactions he had with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The 19th century proved to be the golden age of Russian malachite. The stone became a sign of prestige and a token of wealth, so much so that Russian papers of the time wrote: "To afford having a big piece wrought in malachite is synonymous to owning diamonds." Year after year the Russian (Romanov) treasury paid increasingly unreasonable prices to hoard the best malachite, much of which went into Romanov palaces and extravagant objets d'art. The Hermitage Museum possesses a collection of over two hundred examples of this “palatial” malachite...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Napoleon III French Empire desk with gilt bronze oversized fittings A very decorative and collectible desk in period lightly restored condition throughout. The desk comes complete with all original gilt bronze fixtures and fittings including two keys for the locks. It has four large drawers to the front, the left drawer is a very large single drawer with a safe drawer...

Excellent and rare French 19th century Napoleon III ebonized black lacquer Bureau plat or writing desk made in the Régence/Louis XV style made by Benjamin Gros/Paris, ca. 1855. Rais...

A stunning and very fine 19th century French Napoleon III bureau plat - writing desk. Masterfully constructed in ebonized or lacquered wood, w...

An outstanding Louis XV-style mahogany bureau plat after a model by Jacques B. Dubois, from the estate of Phyllis McGuire, the shaped leather-inset top above an elaborate frieze with...

A Louis XV Style gilt-bronze mounted bureau plat by François Linke. The rectangular top inset with a green leather writing surface with gilt-tooled border, within a gilt-bronze su...

This desk is by one of the finest makers in France during the fourth quarter of the 18th century under the reign of Louis XVI. Stamped M.CARLIN and JME on underside. Two commodes...