AN IVORY INLAID BURR AMBOYNA COIFFEUSE NO. 1534

Details
AN IVORY INLAID BURR AMBOYNA COIFFEUSE NO. 1534
DESIGNED BY JACQUES-EMILE RUHLMANN IN 1922

Central oval mirror flanked by four short drawers with central long drawer below, the whole veneered in regular square panels of amboyna, inlaid with applied ivory banding scrolling at the top and tapering down to ivory sabots, ivory knob handles and lock plates.
68 1/2in. (174cm.) high; 52 3/4in. (134cm.) wide; 20 1/4in. (51.2cm.) deep
Provenance
Marcel Wolfers, thence by descent.

Lot Essay

Purchased prior to, and in anticipation of the completion of the Wolfers' Brussels apartment, circa 1927. The Wolfers archive notes that this piece was purchased at the same time as the bed (lot 206) for a total of 15,000fb. See contemporary photograph of the bedroom interior, showing the present dressing table in situ, reproduced opposite.
Illustrating the 6-drawer (Lassalle) version of this piece, Camard (p.274) also refers to the 'Lambiotte' model, which, as in the present piece, had eight drawers, as originally designed. Jean Lambiotte was a Belgian industrialist, and friend of the Wolfers, who may well have influenced their choice of designer for their bedroom.
See: Ibid. p. 224, Ruhlmann's design for this model.

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