THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN (Lots 60-63)
A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED THUYA, YEW, EBONISED AND MAHOGANY TABLE A ECRIRE

ATTRIBUTED TO ADAM WEISWEILER

Details
A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED THUYA, YEW, EBONISED AND MAHOGANY TABLE A ECRIRE
Attributed to Adam Weisweiler
The rectangular grey-veined marble top with three-quarter gallery, above a frieze-drawer with leather-lined writing-slide flanked by ornate leaves, above four fluted columns and a shaped undertier, on waisted, tapering fluted legs and toupie feet, with pencil inscription to the underside of the drawer 'Defoiel'
22¼ in. (56.5 cm.) wide; 32½ in. (82.5 cm.) high; 15¾ in. (40 cm.) deep
Provenance
Anonymous sale, Ader Picard Tajan, Palais Galleria, Paris, 10 June 1974, lot 147.

Lot Essay

Adam Weisweiler, maître in 1778.

With its distinctive use of Thuya and burr-yew, this table à ecrire is closely related to the oeuvre of Adam Weisweiler, such as featured on the bonheur-du-jour with related fluted column supports, concave gallery and toupie feet illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1989, p.866. The fashion for this 'exotic' timber lasted into the Empire period, as is testified to by the secretaire à abattant and matching console table acquired in Paris in 1804 by Thomas, 7th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine from the marchand-mercier Martin-Eloi Lignereux (1750-1809), who had taken over from Dominique Daguerre in 1793 (sold by the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Sotheby's London, 12 June 1992, lots 306 and 308).

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