PROPERTY FROM THE VALENTINE COLLECTION (LOT 734)

A LATE LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, AMARANTH, SYCAMORE AND GREEN-STAINED MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY BONHEUR DU JOUR

CIRCA 1760

Details

A LATE LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, AMARANTH, SYCAMORE AND GREEN-STAINED MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY BONHEUR DU JOUR
CIRCA 1760
The rectangular superstructure with pierced gallery, the top inlaid with trellis pattern flanking a pictoral marquetry scene, over a pair of doors with ribbon-tied oval medallions each enclosing a shelf and small drawer, one fitted with implements for writing, centered by two short drawers inlaid sans traverse with a scene depicting classical ruins, all above a sliding top inlaid with a further pictorial scene, with a spring-locking mechanism, with a frieze drawer revealing a leather-lined sliding compartment flanked by a pair of sliding compartments inlaid with urns, with bois satiné interior, on cabriole legs headed by male masks, finished to the reverse, stamp to the underside of three X'S within a crowned shield flanked by the initials 'JG', with a stamp 'CP' to the underside on a piece of associated timber, label to underside of one of superstructure drawers inscribed 'From P.W. French & Co.', some of the framing mounts replaced, the angle mounts apparently 18th century but possibly associated, the sabots apparently 18th century and probably regilt
39½ in. (100 cm.) high, 32 in. (81.5 cm.) wide, 17 in. (43 cm.) deep (2)

Provenance

with French & Co., New York.
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco,
sold Butterfield's, San Francisco, 24 March 1993, lot 3562.

Lot Essay

The 'J.G.' brand with the crowned coat-of-arms of the city of Amsterdam is that of the Amsterdam Guild of Saint Joseph and was employed following a decree of 29 January 1771, which banned the import of foreign furniture (R.J. Baarsen, 'French furniture in Amsterdam in 1771', Furniture History 29 (1993), p. 159 and pp. 114-128). In order not to harm the tradesmen who had invested in the much sought-after foreign items of furniture, the city council ruled that they were permitted to sell their pieces for another three months, provided that these were branded with the 'JG' stamp.

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