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Lot Essay
With its characteristic 'naif' marquetry of utensils and flower-vases inspired by the borders of Chinese lacquer screens, this bonheur-du-jour typifies the 'antique' style popularised by the specialist marqueteur Charles Topino (maître in 1773), and his fellow ébénistes Roger van der Cruse, known as Lacroix (maître in 1755) and Pierre Pioniez (maître in 1765). This model of bonheur-du-jour was clearly developed by 1775, as the ébéniste du Roi Gilles Joubert (d. 1775) delivered 'Un petit secrétaire de bois de rose représentant des paniers de fleurs, fruits, theyers et tasses façon de la Chine...', to the Garde Meuble for the use of the comte d'Artois at Compiègne (A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers, Paris, 1989, p. 320).
A related bonheur-du-jour by Charles Topino in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm is illustrated in S. Barbier Sainte Marie, 'Charles Topino', L'Estampille L'Objet d'Art, 10 (1999), p. 38, fig. 5. A further related example was sold from the collection of Mrs James de Rothschild, in these Rooms, 2 December 1971, lot 129, and another related example was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 9 December 1993, lot 86 (£72,000).
A related bonheur-du-jour by Charles Topino in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm is illustrated in S. Barbier Sainte Marie, 'Charles Topino', L'Estampille L'Objet d'Art, 10 (1999), p. 38, fig. 5. A further related example was sold from the collection of Mrs James de Rothschild, in these Rooms, 2 December 1971, lot 129, and another related example was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 9 December 1993, lot 86 (£72,000).