An unrivalled tour-de-force of French cabinet-making is a Louis XV ormolu-mounted tulipwood, amaranth and bois de bout marquetry secrétaire by Bernard II van Risenburgh, dit BVRB (estimate: £300,000-500,000), one of the most talented ébénistes of the Louis XV period. His work was particularly admired by the mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, who purchased several works by him through Duvaux. Interestingly, the King purchased a secrétaire of precisely this model for Château de St Hubert in 1758. Three small marquetry tables by the ebeniste also form part of the collection.

One of the greatest treasures of the collection is a Louis XVI mahogany and yew-wood secrétaire stamped by Nicolas-Philippe Dussault, lavishly embellished with elaborate ormolu mounts and numerous Wedgwood plaques. It was undoubtedly the brainchild of that creative genius Dominique Daguerre, who enjoyed a monopoly over the import of Wedgwood plaques into France. Housed in the Salon Bleu, the secrétaire is superbly decorated and mounted with outstanding plaques (estimate: £800,000-£1,200,000). Amongst only five pieces ever published from this collection, this secrétaire was featured on the front cover of Charles Packer's celebrated 1956 publication, Paris Furniture.

Another masterpiece of Louis XVI cabinet-making is Jean-François Leleu's monumental secrétaire à abattant which relates directly to the monumental and architectural furniture created by Leleu for the Prince de Condé's Palais Bourbon, one of the great show places of the early neo-classical style (estimate: £250,000-400,000). The commode from the Palais Bourbon is now in the Louvre.

Further Royal masterpieces include the superb pair of Louis XVI giltwood console tables with beautiful granite tops, which are branded with various Royal inventory marks and numbers including the stamp of the Palais des Tuileries, where they were listed in the early 19th century (estimate: £250,000-400,000).

The marque au feu of another Royal château, Fontainebleau, can be seen on a wonderful late Louis XV ormolu-mounted marquetry commode attributed to Roger van der Cruse, dit Lacroix, which was supplied by the marchand Léonard Boudin for Fontainebleau in the 1770s (estimate: £70,000-100,000).

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