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Lot Essay
Lonard Boudin, matre in 1761.
This superb marquetry bureau, combining sinuous lines, finely chased got grec mounts and whimsical marquetry of Chinese vases and writing accessories, is possibly a collaboration between Boudin, marchand-bniste, and other cabinet-makers. The distinctive marquetry of Chinese vases, inspired by Chinese coromandel lacquer screens, is most closely associated with the work of the bniste Charles Topino, matre in 1773. Topino who worked closely with Boudin and between 1772 and 1774, supplied forty nine small occasional tables to the marchand, almost all decorated with sujets chinois. Several tables are known which bear both makers' stamps, including a bonheur-du-jour in the Nationalsmuseum, Stockholm and a table in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (see S. Barbier Sainte Marie, 'Charles Topino, matre bniste et entrepreneur fcond', Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, October 1999, pp. 38-9).
Topino also supplied other cabinet-makers and marchands such as Boudin with marquetry panels, as well as finished cabinet pieces, and it is possible this may be the case with the bureau offered here, as there is no definite record of Topino supplying Boudin with a piece of this scale. The flowing lines, Greek key gallery and cartouche-form lock-plate of this bureau are all features of the work of the celebrated bniste Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix (matre in 1755). He is known to have worked with Boudin, as indicated by a secretaire stamped Boudin in the Cleveland Museum of Art (see P. Kjellberg, Les Ma<->tres Ebnistes du XVIIIe Sicle, Paris, 1989, p. 97, fig. D). RVLC also frequently employed similar marquetry panels of Chinese vases, possibly supplied to him by Topino, for instance on a secretaire sold in these Rooms, 29 June 1972, lot 49. The distinctive keyplates on this bureau also appear on an unusual corner secretaire by RVLC in this sale, lot 121.
This superb marquetry bureau, combining sinuous lines, finely chased got grec mounts and whimsical marquetry of Chinese vases and writing accessories, is possibly a collaboration between Boudin, marchand-bniste, and other cabinet-makers. The distinctive marquetry of Chinese vases, inspired by Chinese coromandel lacquer screens, is most closely associated with the work of the bniste Charles Topino, matre in 1773. Topino who worked closely with Boudin and between 1772 and 1774, supplied forty nine small occasional tables to the marchand, almost all decorated with sujets chinois. Several tables are known which bear both makers' stamps, including a bonheur-du-jour in the Nationalsmuseum, Stockholm and a table in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (see S. Barbier Sainte Marie, 'Charles Topino, matre bniste et entrepreneur fcond', Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, October 1999, pp. 38-9).
Topino also supplied other cabinet-makers and marchands such as Boudin with marquetry panels, as well as finished cabinet pieces, and it is possible this may be the case with the bureau offered here, as there is no definite record of Topino supplying Boudin with a piece of this scale. The flowing lines, Greek key gallery and cartouche-form lock-plate of this bureau are all features of the work of the celebrated bniste Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix (matre in 1755). He is known to have worked with Boudin, as indicated by a secretaire stamped Boudin in the Cleveland Museum of Art (see P. Kjellberg, Les Ma<->tres Ebnistes du XVIIIe Sicle, Paris, 1989, p. 97, fig. D). RVLC also frequently employed similar marquetry panels of Chinese vases, possibly supplied to him by Topino, for instance on a secretaire sold in these Rooms, 29 June 1972, lot 49. The distinctive keyplates on this bureau also appear on an unusual corner secretaire by RVLC in this sale, lot 121.