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Lot Essay
Jean-Henri Riesener, maître in 1768.
This console desserte, with its rich floral trellis parquetry to the back panels and delicately inlaid stringing, is conceived in a nearly identical manner to one from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Groves that was sold in these Rooms, 15 October 1988, lot 114 ($ 132,000) - previously sold with its pair Christie's London, 19 May 1983, lots 109 and 110. That console with essentially identical carcase is embellished with a simpler 'Riesener' trellis parquetry to the back panels and undertier, while the legs, apron and panelled legs lack the enriching banding. The frieze is adorned with the dense fluted and husked mount, not dissimilar to th the central and later mount of the offered lot, while the gallery has a pierced guilloche mount above a plain molded mount.
The flower-head filled trellis back of the offered lot relates, however, more closely to that of a commode and secrétaire à abattant supplied to Marie Antoinette probably between 1784-85 that were subsequently remodelled and signed by Riesener in 1791 and that are now in the Frick Collection, New York (T. Dell, The Frick Collection, New York, 1992, vol. VI, pp. 71 - 91). This type of parquetry was particularly favored by the Queen and other examples made for her include a richly decorated writing-table that was supplied to her in 1782 which is now at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire (G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Fribourg, 1974, vol. II, cat. 106, pp. 520 - 527), a mechanical table made for her cabinet intérieur at Versailles and delivered in 1781 which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (P. Verlet, French Royal Furniture, London, 1963, pp. 139 - 140, figs. 19a - c), another secrétaire delivered to the Petit Trianon in 1783 and a commode also supplied to the cabinet intérieur at Versailles in 1780 both of which are now in the Wallace Collection, London (P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Furniture, London, 1996, vol. II, cat. 199, pp. 996 - 1005 and cat. 180, pp. 866 - 874, respectively), to mention but a few.
In combination with the apron mount and the molding surrounding the undertier, it is probable that this console desserte was made in circa 1785 - 90, as the Frick models employ the same embellishments and were partially re-mounted in 1791. It is further interesting to compare this console desserte to one with nearly identical inlay to the legs and uprights as well as apron mount that was sold in the Madame de Polès sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 22 - 24 June 1927, lot 296.
This console desserte, with its rich floral trellis parquetry to the back panels and delicately inlaid stringing, is conceived in a nearly identical manner to one from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Groves that was sold in these Rooms, 15 October 1988, lot 114 ($ 132,000) - previously sold with its pair Christie's London, 19 May 1983, lots 109 and 110. That console with essentially identical carcase is embellished with a simpler 'Riesener' trellis parquetry to the back panels and undertier, while the legs, apron and panelled legs lack the enriching banding. The frieze is adorned with the dense fluted and husked mount, not dissimilar to th the central and later mount of the offered lot, while the gallery has a pierced guilloche mount above a plain molded mount.
The flower-head filled trellis back of the offered lot relates, however, more closely to that of a commode and secrétaire à abattant supplied to Marie Antoinette probably between 1784-85 that were subsequently remodelled and signed by Riesener in 1791 and that are now in the Frick Collection, New York (T. Dell, The Frick Collection, New York, 1992, vol. VI, pp. 71 - 91). This type of parquetry was particularly favored by the Queen and other examples made for her include a richly decorated writing-table that was supplied to her in 1782 which is now at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire (G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Fribourg, 1974, vol. II, cat. 106, pp. 520 - 527), a mechanical table made for her cabinet intérieur at Versailles and delivered in 1781 which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (P. Verlet, French Royal Furniture, London, 1963, pp. 139 - 140, figs. 19a - c), another secrétaire delivered to the Petit Trianon in 1783 and a commode also supplied to the cabinet intérieur at Versailles in 1780 both of which are now in the Wallace Collection, London (P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Furniture, London, 1996, vol. II, cat. 199, pp. 996 - 1005 and cat. 180, pp. 866 - 874, respectively), to mention but a few.
In combination with the apron mount and the molding surrounding the undertier, it is probable that this console desserte was made in circa 1785 - 90, as the Frick models employ the same embellishments and were partially re-mounted in 1791. It is further interesting to compare this console desserte to one with nearly identical inlay to the legs and uprights as well as apron mount that was sold in the Madame de Polès sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 22 - 24 June 1927, lot 296.