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Lot Essay
With its precious specimen marble top incorporating serpentine, red jasper, amethyst, and finely chased and gilt ormolu support, this jewel-like table is a rare example of gilt-bronze furniture conceived in the early 19th Century and rivalling in its outstanding quality the few known models created during the Ancien-régime.
The two best-known examples of this type are probably the two tables delivered to the duc d’Aumont, designed by François-Joseph Bélanger and executed by Pierre Gouthière, which are depicted in preparatory drawings by Pierre-Adrien Pâris, 1782 (C. Vignon and C. Baulez, Pierre Gouthiere, New York, 2016, pp. 286-289, 296-297). Another ormolu table with a similar frieze, also supported by herm figures and originally from the collections of the ducs d’Avray, was sold at Christie’s, Monaco, 1 July 1995, lot 220. A third pair is recorded, with fluted tapering legs and with identical ionic capitals, one of which was part of the collections of Madame Pierre Schlumberger sold at Sotheby’s, Monaco, 26 February 1992, lot 67, the other sold from the collections of Jacques Doucet, Paris, 8 June 1912, lot 315.
Specimen marble tops inlaid with rare hardstones were also already in existence in France at the end of the 18th century. Martin Carlin seems to have made of these his speciality as he delivered no less than four tables including similar tops, such as the table sold from the Andre Meyer Collection, Christie’s, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 50.
The herm female figures supporting the present specimen marble top, are particularly reminiscent of the caryatide mounts visible on a secrétaire à abattant delivered to Louis XVI for Compiègne in 1787, now at the Metropolitan Museum, New York (1971.206.17); and to the legs of the writing table by Adam Weisweiler delivered to Marie-Antoinette in 1784, now in the Louvre (inv. OA 5509). The mounts of the secrétaire were modelled by Louis-Simon Boizot, cast by Forestier and chased by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, leading to the possibility that the latter who was still active during the Restauration period, would have created the remarkable bronzes of the table offered here.
The two best-known examples of this type are probably the two tables delivered to the duc d’Aumont, designed by François-Joseph Bélanger and executed by Pierre Gouthière, which are depicted in preparatory drawings by Pierre-Adrien Pâris, 1782 (C. Vignon and C. Baulez, Pierre Gouthiere, New York, 2016, pp. 286-289, 296-297). Another ormolu table with a similar frieze, also supported by herm figures and originally from the collections of the ducs d’Avray, was sold at Christie’s, Monaco, 1 July 1995, lot 220. A third pair is recorded, with fluted tapering legs and with identical ionic capitals, one of which was part of the collections of Madame Pierre Schlumberger sold at Sotheby’s, Monaco, 26 February 1992, lot 67, the other sold from the collections of Jacques Doucet, Paris, 8 June 1912, lot 315.
Specimen marble tops inlaid with rare hardstones were also already in existence in France at the end of the 18th century. Martin Carlin seems to have made of these his speciality as he delivered no less than four tables including similar tops, such as the table sold from the Andre Meyer Collection, Christie’s, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 50.
The herm female figures supporting the present specimen marble top, are particularly reminiscent of the caryatide mounts visible on a secrétaire à abattant delivered to Louis XVI for Compiègne in 1787, now at the Metropolitan Museum, New York (1971.206.17); and to the legs of the writing table by Adam Weisweiler delivered to Marie-Antoinette in 1784, now in the Louvre (inv. OA 5509). The mounts of the secrétaire were modelled by Louis-Simon Boizot, cast by Forestier and chased by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, leading to the possibility that the latter who was still active during the Restauration period, would have created the remarkable bronzes of the table offered here.