A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD AND MARQUETRY BONHEUR-DU-JOUR by R.V.L.C. inlaid overall with naif marquetry depicting bottles, books, vases of flowers, still-lifes of fruit and other objects upon a bois satiné, the three-quarter Greek-key galleried superstructure above a pair of drawers, each enclosing a fitted interior with one shelf and a mahogany-lined drawer, flanking a central compartment and further drawer, the eared rectangular lower section above an entrelac panelled frieze with a secretaire drawer fitted with a hinged blue leather-lined writing surface and three silver-plated compartments, the cabriole legs with satyr-mask and foliate mounts and joined by a three-quarter Greek-key galleried shaped undertier upon splayed legs and ormolu sabots, stamped to the underside R.V.L.C. and JME three times, with later English locks and hinges stamped R.L. & CO SECURE PATENT and HORN PATENT, restorations

Details

A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD AND MARQUETRY BONHEUR-DU-JOUR by R.V.L.C. inlaid overall with naif marquetry depicting bottles, books, vases of flowers, still-lifes of fruit and other objects upon a bois satiné, the three-quarter Greek-key galleried superstructure above a pair of drawers, each enclosing a fitted interior with one shelf and a mahogany-lined drawer, flanking a central compartment and further drawer, the eared rectangular lower section above an entrelac panelled frieze with a secretaire drawer fitted with a hinged blue leather-lined writing surface and three silver-plated compartments, the cabriole legs with satyr-mask and foliate mounts and joined by a three-quarter Greek-key galleried shaped undertier upon splayed legs and ormolu sabots, stamped to the underside R.V.L.C. and JME three times, with later English locks and hinges stamped R.L. & CO SECURE PATENT and HORN PATENT, restorations
24¾in. (63cm.) wide; 41in. (104cm.) high; 25in. (63.5cm.) wide

Lot Essay

Roger Vandercruse, dit Lacroix, maître en 1749

This Grecian bonheur-du-jour is almost identical to that supplied by the marchand-mercier and ébéniste Gilles Joubert (d. 1775) for the use of the Comte d'Artois at the Chateau de Compiégnie:-
(INDENT) Un petit secrétaire bijou de bois de rose représentant des paniers de fleurs, fruits, theyeres et tasses façon de la Chine, le tout en marqueterie de chaque côté sur la table et un guichet fermant à clef refermant un tiroir; entre les deux guichets est un tiroir; entre les deux guichets est un troisième tiroir; sur le devant est droite un compartiment garny d'encrier, poudrier et boîte à éponge de cuivre argenté : le secrétaire enrichi haut et bas de balustres à la grecque et autres ornements de bronze ciselé surdoré d'or moulu. Long de 24 po, sur larg. de 15 po, et 3 pi 2 po de haut

The characteristic 'naif' marquetry, derived from oriental screens, was popularised by RVLC and, in particular, the specialist 'marquetier' Charles Topino (matre en 1773). A closely related bonheur-du- jour from the Beaumont Collection was sold Sotheby's Monaco, 4-6 December 1992, lot 19

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