拍品专文
This splendid bureau plat, conceived in the early 19th Century 'antique' manner as popularized by Percier and Fontaine in their Recueil de Dcorations Intrieures, first printed in 1801, is attributed to the firm of Jacob-Desmalter. A partnership between Georges Jacob and his son Franois-Honor-Georges lasting from 1803 until 1813, Jacob Desmalter et Cie were unquestionably the greatest cabinet-makers of the Empire period, supplying furniture for the Imperial palaces in France, Italy and Belgium, principally Compigne, L'Elyse, Saint-Cloud and the Tuileries. The very high quality of execution and choice of well-figured veneers, allied with the boldness of design is typical of the best of their production and indicates an important commission. Various elements in the decoration of this bureau derrive from Percier and Fontaine's Recueil de Dcorations Intrieures. The palmette-enriched decoration of the frieze echos the decorative tablets in the design for the painting studio of Citoyen J in Paris. The designs for panels and friezes for the same room recall the trellis-pattern ormolu backrail on the bureau. The bacchic lion-monopodia feet evolved from the throne of a swan-headed stand, conceived in the manner of an athenienne tripod designed for the home of Citoyen D in Paris. Another desk of this rare model, but lacking its writing slope. previously in the collection of the Earls of Inchcape, Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland, was sold Christie's, London, 27 May 1993, lot 105.