AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED EBONY AND MAHOGANY TABLE DE TOILETTE

ATTRIBUTED TO MARTIN-GUILLAUME BIENNAIS

Details

AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED EBONY AND MAHOGANY TABLE DE TOILETTE
Attributed to Martin-Guillaume Biennais
The rectangular top with low gallery surmounted by two pilasters with palmette and floral trails and anthemion and palmette capital, issuing two scrolling candle-branches with conforming decoration terminating in cylindrical nozzles, the Roman busts of maidens flanking an ovoid swivel-mirror with stiff-leaf border, above a panelled mahogany-lined frieze drawer with palmette border and escutcheon enclosing two compartments, the sides with simulated panelling and two brown leather-lined writing-slides, on square tapering legs joined by a galleried rectangular undertier and lion-paw sabots, the top section now fixed but originally removable
13½in. (35cm.) wide; 41½in. (105cm.) high; 11in. (28cm.) deep

Lot Essay

Martin-Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843) settled in Paris in 1789 as a tabletier and furniture maker before becoming goldsmith by appointment to Napoleon I and to the principal monarchs of Europe. In 1790 he acquired a boutique Au singe violet, where he specialised in the production of richly fitted nécéssaires, games tables and compact and refined pieces of furniture.

The female-supports of the mirror and drawer-escutcheon of this table de toilette are related to those of Psyché de lit by Biennais illustrated in D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Français du XIXe Siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 87. It also relates to several games- tables by Biennais with similar outward-facing paw feet which have trade labels Au singe violet (L. de Groër, Les Arts Décoratifs de 1790 à 1850, Fribourg, 1985, p. 72, figs. 116-117).

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