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Lot Essay
Jean-Pierre Latz, 1691-1754
This superb writing-table, combining delicately drawn, naturalistic marquetry with the rare feature of a richly cast, pierced ormolu gallery can be attributed to the celebrated German-born bniste Jean-Pierre Latz, who was appointed bniste privilgi du roi before 1741. A mechanical table by Latz at Waddesdon Manor, with a closely related marquetry panel of sprays of flowers issuing from a single point, framed within a sinuous rocaille border, and of a similarly compact profile, is illustrated in G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Fribourg, 1974, vol. I, pp. 395-7, cat. 82. The Waddesdon table is also stamped by Denis Genty, the marchand-bniste who retailed many of Latz's pieces after his death in 1754. Another closely related writing-table stamped Carel (again, possibly in the capacity of a retailer for Latz) of even closer overall form and with flower-filled basket to the top within a very similar rocaille border, was sold from the Wildenstein/Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-6 June 1979, lot 195. Another table by Latz, which employs a similar combination of distinctive floral marquetry within rocaille borders, although of simpler form, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 21 May 1997, lot 619.
The extraordinary pierced ormolu border of the Alexander table sets it apart from all these other examples by Latz. The only other use of such a border appears to be on a writing-table by BVRB in the Wrightsman Collection, formerly in the collections of Mrs. Henry Walters and Baron Cassel van Doorn (ilustrated in F.J.B Watson, The Wrightsman Collection Furniture Gilt Bronzes Carpets, New York, 1966, vol. II, cat. 151). However, the Wrightsman table is of more elongated proportions and its marquetry is of a more sparing character than the Alexander table.
This superb writing-table, combining delicately drawn, naturalistic marquetry with the rare feature of a richly cast, pierced ormolu gallery can be attributed to the celebrated German-born bniste Jean-Pierre Latz, who was appointed bniste privilgi du roi before 1741. A mechanical table by Latz at Waddesdon Manor, with a closely related marquetry panel of sprays of flowers issuing from a single point, framed within a sinuous rocaille border, and of a similarly compact profile, is illustrated in G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Fribourg, 1974, vol. I, pp. 395-7, cat. 82. The Waddesdon table is also stamped by Denis Genty, the marchand-bniste who retailed many of Latz's pieces after his death in 1754. Another closely related writing-table stamped Carel (again, possibly in the capacity of a retailer for Latz) of even closer overall form and with flower-filled basket to the top within a very similar rocaille border, was sold from the Wildenstein/Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-6 June 1979, lot 195. Another table by Latz, which employs a similar combination of distinctive floral marquetry within rocaille borders, although of simpler form, was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 21 May 1997, lot 619.
The extraordinary pierced ormolu border of the Alexander table sets it apart from all these other examples by Latz. The only other use of such a border appears to be on a writing-table by BVRB in the Wrightsman Collection, formerly in the collections of Mrs. Henry Walters and Baron Cassel van Doorn (ilustrated in F.J.B Watson, The Wrightsman Collection Furniture Gilt Bronzes Carpets, New York, 1966, vol. II, cat. 151). However, the Wrightsman table is of more elongated proportions and its marquetry is of a more sparing character than the Alexander table.