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Lot Essay
Adam Weisweiler, maître in 1778.
Embellished with costly 17th century Japanese lacquer, this superb suite of furniture comprising a commode and a secretaire is a beautiful and elegant example of the work of Adam Weisweiler at the height of his powers, when this ébéniste delivered a number of masterpieces to the Royal family, all commissioned through the famous marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre (d. 1796). This includes the monumental secretaire supplied in January 1784 to Louis XVI's cabinet Interieur at Versailles, which is one of his earliest and most richly-mounted pieces of lacquer furniture (O. Impey and J. Whitehead, 'From Japanese box to French Royal furniture', Apollo, September 1990, p. 163).
Daguerre commissioned various related pieces from Weisweiler, varying both the basic format, the materials, and gilt-bronze mounts. With their arrangement of large panels, they were particularly appropriate for the display of exotic Oriental lacquer and 17th Century pietra dura panels as well as porcelain plaques. The present commode and secretaire are mounted with rare Japanese lacquer panels of circa 1660-1690 which are decorated with vases to the main panels and flanked by others with landscapes and cockerels. These were most probably originally incorporated in a cabinet or a chest, which was cut up and put to new and fashionable use. Similar striking lacquer panels with vases appear on a commode attributed to Weisweiler, formerly with Frank Partridge, sold from the Keck Collection, La Lanterne, Bel Air, Sotheby's, New York, 5-6 December 1991, lot 276 and a further commode by the ébéniste sold, Christie’s London, 11 June 1992, lot 165. Related panels also feature on a superb pair of meubles d’appui, among Weisweiler’s finest and most celebrated pieces, in the Nissim de Camondo Museum, Paris (S. Legrand-Rossi, Le Mobilier du Musee Nissim de Camondo, Dijon, 2012, pp. 120-121.)
For some of his most exalted and demanding clients, Daguerre commissioned Weisweiler to execute costly suites of furniture, comprising a small number of similarly decorated pieces, usually a commode together with a secretaire or a pair of encoignures, conceived to be presented together in a very richly decorated setting. The most iconic of these ensembles is the set comprising a pair of secretaires, a commode and a roll-top desk, supplied in 1790-’92 by Daguerre and his then business-partner Eloi Lignereux (d. 1809) to King Ferdinand IV of Naples, who was married to Maria Carolina, Marie Antoinette’s sister. This purchase was made following the gathering of monarchs for the Coronation in Frankfurt in 1789, where the marchand-mercier had brought works of art with them and sought to attract new clients. This precious ensemble was installed in the King’s study at Caserta, where it remained probably until the late 19th Century; the suite then reappears on the art market in the early 20th Century and was acquired in 1950 by Mrs and Mr Charles Wrightsman and was in 1977 gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (D. Kisluk-Grosheide, et. al., European Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2006, 210-213). A further set of similar standards but slightly later date, was executed circa 1795, and possibly ordered by Emperor Paul I of Russia but not delivered. It then descends in the collections of the Dukes of Hamilton (until 1882), then frequently changed hands and was more recently in the collection of Lily and Edmond Safra until sold, Sotheby’s New York, 19 October 2011, lot 749. Both the ‘Caserta’ and ‘Hamilton’ ensembles share a distinctive feature with the present commode and secretaire: and elaborate frame mount with a meander motif which is appears to be exclusive to Weisweiler’s oeuvre and only used by him on his most precious lacquer furniture.
Daguerre's Louis XVI 'antique' or Pompeiian manner was also favoured by his elegant English clientèle, and visitors to his atelier 'a la Couronne d'Or' in 1785 included Henry Holland (d. 1806), architect to George, Prince of Wales, and his patron George John, 2nd Earl Spencer (d. 1836). A pair of secretaires or 'desks', both stamped by Weisweiler, formed part of the Earl's furniture 'en laque', which he commissioned for his new French appartment at Spencer House (P. Thornton and J. Hardy, 'The Spencer Furniture at Althorp', Apollo, October 1968, fig. 15, pl. XVII). His purchase of lacquer furniture also included various closely related pieces by Charles-Claude Saunier (maître in 1752), whom besides Weisweiler was one of Daguerre's favoured ébénistes. It has been suggested in the past that this group was made by Bernard Molitor, another ébéniste who worked closely with Daguerre at the end of the 18th century. However, various technical and constructional aspects of the current group firmly anchor it in Weisweiler's oeuvre. The double-lever mechanism on the portes à vantaux is characteristic of Weisweiler's lavish employment of hardware and the hinges are the same as those seen on some of Weisweiler's most luxurious commissions. The interior veneered in amaranth and bois citronnier and the construction of the backpanels and substrate are other unique characteristics particular to Weisweiler's cabinetmaking as is the makeup of the toupie feet which are made of ebonised pearwood.
It is interesting to note that Daguerre's stock sale at Christie's London on 25-26 March 1791 included two commodes of which the descriptions sadly do not allow certain identification with any of the well-known examples: lot 60 of the first day 'an elegant commode, comprised of the very old raised Japan and veined marble top, rich mounted in or-moulu' and lot 71 of the second day 'A fine commode of the fine old Japan, with marble top and rich arabesque frieze in or-moulu'
Embellished with costly 17th century Japanese lacquer, this superb suite of furniture comprising a commode and a secretaire is a beautiful and elegant example of the work of Adam Weisweiler at the height of his powers, when this ébéniste delivered a number of masterpieces to the Royal family, all commissioned through the famous marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre (d. 1796). This includes the monumental secretaire supplied in January 1784 to Louis XVI's cabinet Interieur at Versailles, which is one of his earliest and most richly-mounted pieces of lacquer furniture (O. Impey and J. Whitehead, 'From Japanese box to French Royal furniture', Apollo, September 1990, p. 163).
Daguerre commissioned various related pieces from Weisweiler, varying both the basic format, the materials, and gilt-bronze mounts. With their arrangement of large panels, they were particularly appropriate for the display of exotic Oriental lacquer and 17th Century pietra dura panels as well as porcelain plaques. The present commode and secretaire are mounted with rare Japanese lacquer panels of circa 1660-1690 which are decorated with vases to the main panels and flanked by others with landscapes and cockerels. These were most probably originally incorporated in a cabinet or a chest, which was cut up and put to new and fashionable use. Similar striking lacquer panels with vases appear on a commode attributed to Weisweiler, formerly with Frank Partridge, sold from the Keck Collection, La Lanterne, Bel Air, Sotheby's, New York, 5-6 December 1991, lot 276 and a further commode by the ébéniste sold, Christie’s London, 11 June 1992, lot 165. Related panels also feature on a superb pair of meubles d’appui, among Weisweiler’s finest and most celebrated pieces, in the Nissim de Camondo Museum, Paris (S. Legrand-Rossi, Le Mobilier du Musee Nissim de Camondo, Dijon, 2012, pp. 120-121.)
For some of his most exalted and demanding clients, Daguerre commissioned Weisweiler to execute costly suites of furniture, comprising a small number of similarly decorated pieces, usually a commode together with a secretaire or a pair of encoignures, conceived to be presented together in a very richly decorated setting. The most iconic of these ensembles is the set comprising a pair of secretaires, a commode and a roll-top desk, supplied in 1790-’92 by Daguerre and his then business-partner Eloi Lignereux (d. 1809) to King Ferdinand IV of Naples, who was married to Maria Carolina, Marie Antoinette’s sister. This purchase was made following the gathering of monarchs for the Coronation in Frankfurt in 1789, where the marchand-mercier had brought works of art with them and sought to attract new clients. This precious ensemble was installed in the King’s study at Caserta, where it remained probably until the late 19th Century; the suite then reappears on the art market in the early 20th Century and was acquired in 1950 by Mrs and Mr Charles Wrightsman and was in 1977 gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (D. Kisluk-Grosheide, et. al., European Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2006, 210-213). A further set of similar standards but slightly later date, was executed circa 1795, and possibly ordered by Emperor Paul I of Russia but not delivered. It then descends in the collections of the Dukes of Hamilton (until 1882), then frequently changed hands and was more recently in the collection of Lily and Edmond Safra until sold, Sotheby’s New York, 19 October 2011, lot 749. Both the ‘Caserta’ and ‘Hamilton’ ensembles share a distinctive feature with the present commode and secretaire: and elaborate frame mount with a meander motif which is appears to be exclusive to Weisweiler’s oeuvre and only used by him on his most precious lacquer furniture.
Daguerre's Louis XVI 'antique' or Pompeiian manner was also favoured by his elegant English clientèle, and visitors to his atelier 'a la Couronne d'Or' in 1785 included Henry Holland (d. 1806), architect to George, Prince of Wales, and his patron George John, 2nd Earl Spencer (d. 1836). A pair of secretaires or 'desks', both stamped by Weisweiler, formed part of the Earl's furniture 'en laque', which he commissioned for his new French appartment at Spencer House (P. Thornton and J. Hardy, 'The Spencer Furniture at Althorp', Apollo, October 1968, fig. 15, pl. XVII). His purchase of lacquer furniture also included various closely related pieces by Charles-Claude Saunier (maître in 1752), whom besides Weisweiler was one of Daguerre's favoured ébénistes. It has been suggested in the past that this group was made by Bernard Molitor, another ébéniste who worked closely with Daguerre at the end of the 18th century. However, various technical and constructional aspects of the current group firmly anchor it in Weisweiler's oeuvre. The double-lever mechanism on the portes à vantaux is characteristic of Weisweiler's lavish employment of hardware and the hinges are the same as those seen on some of Weisweiler's most luxurious commissions. The interior veneered in amaranth and bois citronnier and the construction of the backpanels and substrate are other unique characteristics particular to Weisweiler's cabinetmaking as is the makeup of the toupie feet which are made of ebonised pearwood.
It is interesting to note that Daguerre's stock sale at Christie's London on 25-26 March 1791 included two commodes of which the descriptions sadly do not allow certain identification with any of the well-known examples: lot 60 of the first day 'an elegant commode, comprised of the very old raised Japan and veined marble top, rich mounted in or-moulu' and lot 71 of the second day 'A fine commode of the fine old Japan, with marble top and rich arabesque frieze in or-moulu'