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拍品专文
This pair of encoignures is emblematic of the work of one of the greatest ebenistes of the first half of the 18th century, Charles Cressent (1685–1768). This model is identifiable in a sale of Cressent’s goods ‘Catalogue des differens [sic] effets curieux du Sieur Cressent Ebeniste’ on 15 January 1749 where it was described with the motif ‘à palmes et fleurs’:
« N°11. Deux autres encoignures plus simples en ornements de palmes & de fleurs dorées d’or moulu, leur marbre de Verret, de deux pieds [65cm] … 403 L. ; N°14. Deux encoignures de bois amarante, avec des compartimens de bois satiné, de bronze à palme & fleuve [sic], dorées d’or moulu,le marbre de Verret, de deux pieds [65cm]… 413 L. »
This description matches exactly that of the present lot and seven or eight examples of this model, with minor variations, are known. Of these eight only three have retained their mounts of palms and garlands of flowers including a single encoignure with a brèche d’Alep marble top sold Collection de Mme Louis Burat, 15 June 1937, lot 117 and subsequently M° Delorme-Fraysse, Paris, 5 June 1996, lot 122, as well as a pair of encoignures stamped Gillet with brèche d’Alep marble top and some mounts lacking formerly in the collection of Sir Brian Mountain, Rosehaugh House, Rosshire, sold Christie’s London, 29 July 1954 lot 87 and subsequently galerie Charpentier, Paris, 2 December 1955, lot 99, palais Galliera, Paris, 12 June 1973, lot 100 and palais Galliera, Paris, 11 mars 1975, lot 159.
Variations of this model without the garlands of flowers include a single encoignure sold firstly at Perrin-Royère-Lajeunesse, Versailles, 13 May 1990, lot1 36 and then Christie’s New York 24 May 2000, lot 349. Examples of this model now lacking their palm and floral mounts include a pair in the Mobilier national (inv. GME 15110), an encoignure formerly with galerie Fabre and an encoignure sold M. Ader, Paris, 7 June 1974, lot 133.
The present lot shares its pine construction and veneers of bois satiné and amaranth with the other examples from this corpus. The present lot differs very slightly from the Burat encoignure in its pilaster mounts which appear to be associated, as well as the central garland of flowers. It is worth noting that while the amaranth veneers of the present lot are not designed to receive the half garlands of flowers, these garlands are related to the oeuvre of Cressent and particularly to a number of cartel clocks including one in the collection of the marquis d’Estampes, as well as a cartel clock in the Wallace Collection and in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City.