EARLY 19TH CENTURY, ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE-BENOÎT MARCION

Details

AN EMPIRE GILTWOOD PLIANT
Early 19th Century, Attributed to Pierre-Benoît Marcion
The rectangular folding seat and cushion covered in red silk velvet, above X-shaped supports centred by a floral pattera and decorated with palmettes, joined by baluster-turned stretchers, twice branded with a crowned 'CP' and stencilled with inventory numbers '808' and '3293'
25¼ in. (65 cm.) wide

Provenance

Supplied by Marcion to the Palais de Compiègne, probably in 1808.
Anonymous sale, Sotheby's, Monaco, 23 February 1986, lot 744.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

Pierre-Benoît Marcion (1769-1840)

This pliant, decorated with stylised palmettes, was delivered by Pierre-Benoît Marcion to the Palais de Compiègne and was possibly part of the 24 pliants supplied in 1808 (D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Français du XIXeme Siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 461). From 1807 to 1810, the Palais was refurbished and important commissions were given to Marcion and to Jacob-Desmalter. Besides these pliants, Marcion also supplied giltwood fauteuils and chairs.

In the 1850s the Palais was redecorated for Napoleon III and Empire furniture was partially replaced by various pieces in 'neo'-styles. In the 1986 catalogue, this pliant is described as being stamped by Marcion, but this has not been found and could be hidden under the new velvet upholstery.

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