Lot Essay
Five leading ébénistes were producing furniture for the aristocracy and the emerging merchant class during the second quarter of the 19th Century. Specifically noted are Befort Père, his son Befort Jeaune, Jean Beurdeley, Joseph Cremer and Fréderic Roux (brother of Alexander Roux, American, who was located on Broadway in New York), all of whom produced exemplary pieces similar to the offered lot.
The offered lot is virtually identical to a pair of armoires that were possibly from the Royal Collection of Louis XIV, which now reside in the Louvre, and which were possibly designed by Andre Boulle. The difference between the two pairs is minimal, however the offered lot features painted panels rather than marquetry panels. The casting is of exceptional quality, with the same lovely design and intricate boulle-work featured on the pair of armoires in the Louvre. Cf. Hachette, Les Ébénistes du XVIIIe Siècle Français, 1963, p. 28.
The offered lot is virtually identical to a pair of armoires that were possibly from the Royal Collection of Louis XIV, which now reside in the Louvre, and which were possibly designed by Andre Boulle. The difference between the two pairs is minimal, however the offered lot features painted panels rather than marquetry panels. The casting is of exceptional quality, with the same lovely design and intricate boulle-work featured on the pair of armoires in the Louvre. Cf. Hachette, Les Ébénistes du XVIIIe Siècle Français, 1963, p. 28.