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Lot Essay
The exact proportions of this bas d'armoire with the Seasons is not apparently recorded in 18th Century sales catalogues. Those that are tend to be either narrower (89cm wide - such as those in the Julliot, Julienne, St Jullien & Dubois sales), or much larger (150cm wide - such as those in the Lambert, Calonne, Gomand sales). The only refernce that almost correpsonds is that in a sale of 21 june 1784:
"205. Une armoire de marqueterie, contre partie, elle est à deux batans, & garnie de deux tiroirs pris dans la frise, & à dessus d'alaâtre oriental, entouré d'un bord de bronze. Hauteur 35 pouces (94 cm); longueur 38 pouces (102cm), profondeur 17 pouces.
Only very slightly lower than the Wildensein example, this does not mention the Boulle mounts of the Seasons, and in that these figures of Ceres and Dionysus do not relate to the marquetry decoration, it is possible that they too are introductions by an early 19th Century marchand such as Julliot.
"205. Une armoire de marqueterie, contre partie, elle est à deux batans, & garnie de deux tiroirs pris dans la frise, & à dessus d'alaâtre oriental, entouré d'un bord de bronze. Hauteur 35 pouces (94 cm); longueur 38 pouces (102cm), profondeur 17 pouces.
Only very slightly lower than the Wildensein example, this does not mention the Boulle mounts of the Seasons, and in that these figures of Ceres and Dionysus do not relate to the marquetry decoration, it is possible that they too are introductions by an early 19th Century marchand such as Julliot.