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Although strict guild rules usually prevented craftsmen from practicing two professions simultaneously, Boulle's favoured position allowed him protected status and exempted him from these statutes. The lasting legacy of André-Charles Boulle enjoyed a fashionable renaissance during the late Louis XV period, principally as a result of the brilliant career of the marchand Julliot.
Amongst the earliest examples of Julliot's oeuvre is a superb Louis XV ormolu-mounted table de milieu, signed and dated Julliot 1761, which reuses marquetry panels and legs executed by André-Charles Boulle himself (estimate: £250,000-400,000). This table was acquired from the legendary American heiress Lady Baillie of Leeds Castle, Kent. Also probably a Julliot commission are a pair of late Louis XV ormolu-mounted brass-inlaid ebony and tortoiseshell marquetry side cabinets originally acquired from the Léon Helft Collection in November 1912 (estimate: £600,000-1,000,000).
Additional Highlights
While the Boulle ensemble forms the summit of the Wildenstein Collection, there are also outstanding examples of both Louis XV and Louis XVI pieces—not just ébénisterie but also menuiserie—as well as a sumptuous range of the most luxurious products of the bronzier and ciseleurdoreur.
A magnificent series of six pairs of Louis XVI candelabra illustrate the technical skill and creative brilliance of the period - each pair combining different materials and demonstrating mastery over a variety of techniques (estimate: £50,000-150,000). The superb pair of Louis XV ormolu-mounted celadon carp vases supplied by the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux is a particularly distinguished example of this famous and coveted model (estimate: £150,000-250,000).
Noble exponents of the Rococo style, this model features in the superb portrait of the Baron de Besenval by Danloux recently acquired by the National Gallery in London.
An extraordinary Louis XV ormolu-mounted Nautilus shell expresses the creative genius of the 18th century marchand-merciers. It was probably designed by Juste-Aurèle Meissonier, and came from the fabled collections of the Viennese Rothschilds through Rosenberg and Steibel (estimate:£100,000-200,000).
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Sale 7171, Lot 15
Attributed to
Andre-Charles Boulle
A Louis XIV ormolu-mounted and Boulle brass-inlaid brown tortoiseshell bureau plat, c. 1710
31 3/4 in. (80.5 cm.) high;
80 1/2 in. (204 cm.) wide;
41 1/4 in. (105 cm.) deep
Estimate: £1,500,000-3,000,000
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