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Lot Essay
Jean-Henri Riesener, maître in 1768.
Like many of his colleagues Riesener did not just furnish the grand salons and important rooms for the Crown. He also worked for a private clientele, for whom he produced pieces which were simpler and relatively less expensive. For these types of pieces he employed the finest mahogany, moucheté or flamed, within simple ormolu frames, eliminating all bronze decoration except for drawer framing and escutcheons. These architectural pieces were of the finest quality and comprised various models such as commodes, secretaires, tables and cylinder bureaux, such as the present example. A very comparable cylinder bureau with acajou moucheté veneers and simple ormolu mounts attributed to Riesener but not signed was sold from the Collection d'un Grand Amateur, Christie's Paris, 1 June 2005, lot 411, and another similar attributed example was sold anonymously, Christie's Paris, 24 June 2009, lot 164.
Like many of his colleagues Riesener did not just furnish the grand salons and important rooms for the Crown. He also worked for a private clientele, for whom he produced pieces which were simpler and relatively less expensive. For these types of pieces he employed the finest mahogany, moucheté or flamed, within simple ormolu frames, eliminating all bronze decoration except for drawer framing and escutcheons. These architectural pieces were of the finest quality and comprised various models such as commodes, secretaires, tables and cylinder bureaux, such as the present example. A very comparable cylinder bureau with acajou moucheté veneers and simple ormolu mounts attributed to Riesener but not signed was sold from the Collection d'un Grand Amateur, Christie's Paris, 1 June 2005, lot 411, and another similar attributed example was sold anonymously, Christie's Paris, 24 June 2009, lot 164.