Lot 1

Dr. Milton Myers's unparalleled passion for the arts and robust collecting history is expressed in this extensive and well regarded collection of 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture and Works of Art. Stepping into the home that he shared with his late wife, Marilyn, was an immediate conveyance to another time - a golden era of refinement and opulence so carefully curated over five decades of collecting. His fascination with extraordinary craftsmenship and perseptive eye for provenance resulted in the treasures offered here - a catalogue raisonné of the century's pre-eminent ébénistes, which includes François Linke, Henry Dasson, Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis Beurdeley, among others. Born in 1928 in Youngstown, Ohio, Dr. Milton Bernard Myers attended the University of Ohio prior to attending medical school in Geneva and eventually accepting a residency at Johns Hopkins. As a gifted physician and urologist, Dr. Myers's passion for the arts was matched by his dedication to the field of medicine. In 1960, he moved permanently to Hollywood, Florida where he began to collect these exquisite decorations. His commitment to the community in Hollywood was vast and, in addition to instructing at the University of Miami, he established both the Hollywood Medical Center (now the Memorial Hospital South) and the Hollywood Diagnostics Center. PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATES OF DR. MILTON AND MRS. MARILYN MYERS, HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA

A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY, TULIPWOOD, MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY TABLE DE TOILET

AFTER THE MODEL BY JEAN-FRANCOIS OEBEN, BY PAUL SORMANI, PARIS, LAST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Details

A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY, TULIPWOOD, MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY TABLE DE TOILET
AFTER THE MODEL BY JEAN-FRANCOIS OEBEN, BY PAUL SORMANI, PARIS, LAST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY
The canted rectangular top inlaid with a floral bouquet within a cartouche, above parquetry sides applied with oak leaf swags, with two drawers to the front, the upper drawer with a sliding writing surface, a drawer to each side, the angles with rams' heads, on slight cabriole legs, the ormolu molding, signed P. SORMANI
28½ in. (72.5 cm.) high, 21¼ in. (54 cm.) wide, 17½ in. (44.5 cm.) deep

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 2 October 1998, lot 291.

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Lot Essay

This exceptional table is closely based on a model in The Wallace Collection (F110) by the workshop of the celebrated French 18th century cabinetmaker, Jean-François Oeben. The Wallace table, dated to 1763-1764, was possibly completed by one of Oeben's most accomplished pupils, Jean-François Leleu, and opens to reveal an adjustable mirrored panel, a writing surface and fitted interior, all expertly concealed by one central lock. Oeben was known, among other things, for the complexity and extraordinary craftsmanship of his locking mechanisms. As a result, with its clever, albeit simpler, locking system, this table could be viewed as Paul Sormani's homage to the great 18th century ébéniste.

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