AN ORMOLU-MOUNTED, MAHOGANY, MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY SECRÉTAIRE À CYLINDRE, by Henry Dasson, with a cast three-quarter gallery, above the cylinder front with an oval ribbon-tied musical trophy, the interior with four small drawers and five compartments above a pull-out leather writing surface, above the frieze with a central concealed drawer and a pair of drawers flanking,signed to the right-hand side of the gallery Henry Dasson 1886, with parquetry and Bacchic panels to the back and sides, on square tapering legs, with foliate sabots, the underside of the carcass with bone label S. H. JEWELL 132 High Holborn, London WC2, Circa 1886

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY

Details

AN ORMOLU-MOUNTED, MAHOGANY, MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY SECRÉTAIRE À CYLINDRE, by Henry Dasson, with a cast three-quarter gallery, above the cylinder front with an oval ribbon-tied musical trophy, the interior with four small drawers and five compartments above a pull-out leather writing surface, above the frieze with a central concealed drawer and a pair of drawers flanking,signed to the right-hand side of the gallery Henry Dasson 1886, with parquetry and Bacchic panels to the back and sides, on square tapering legs, with foliate sabots, the underside of the carcass with bone label S. H. JEWELL 132 High Holborn, London WC2, Circa 1886
44½in. (113cm.) wide; 41¼in. (105cm.) high; 25¼in. (64cm.) deep

Lot Essay

This secrétaire à cylindre in the Louis XVI style, is a variant of the bureau with mother-of-pearl 'trellis' marquerty made by Riesener for Marie-Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainbleu in 1786. The 'poetic' trophy was, no doubt, inspired by the ormolu medallion accompanying a tablet of festive putti, on Marie-Antoinette's secrétaire à abattant, also by Reisener, in the Prince Demidoff Collection, sold San Donato, 22 March 1870, lot 282.
Henry Dasson (d.1896) of 106 rue Vielle-du-Temple was a Parisian furniture maker of the highest quality. He was renowned for the quality of his workmanship, including the finest mounts with mercurial gilding.
Another, virtually identical secrétaire à cylindre, though not signed, was sold in these Rooms 20 February 1992, lot 130.

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