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246 - Louis XVI period royal chest of drawers, delivered in 1786 f…
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Estimate €15,000 - €25,000
Sale commission
Description
Louis XVI period royal chest of drawers, delivered in 1786 for the Countess d'Angiviller at the Hôtel du Gouvernement in the Château de Rambouillet, made by Jean-Henri Riesener. A mahogany and mahogany veneered chest of drawers with a slightly recessed front opening onto five drawers in three rows, the two bottom drawers without rails, decorated with mouldings, the side panels slightly curved, the rounded front and back uprights resting on wide fluted turned legs. Ornamentation of ormolu and chased mouldings under the frieze and the base, ring-shaped lock escutcheons, capitals surmounting the legs and hooves. Stamped on each of the later jambs J.H. Riesener. Bearing on the reverse two hot-iron marks - a double interlaced g and a numeral R, both under a royal crown, and a number in black ink partially erased as N°668. Louis XVI period, circa 1786 H. 90 cm - W. 148 cm - D. 64 cm (19th century peach blossom marble top repaired, draw rings, locks and entrances added; small cracks on the side panels, minor knocks, key missing, draw ring incomplete) Provenance : Delivered for the bedroom of the flat on the 1st floor of the Hôtel du Gouvernement, at the Château de Rambouillet, this chest of drawers was intended for the Countess d'Angiviller, wife of the Count d'Angiviller, administrator of the arts and last director general of the King's Buildings under Louis XVI. This piece of furniture by Jean-Henri Riesener is a perfect example of his expertise: a model of balance and sobriety, combining elegance and technical mastery. - Château de Rambouillet, Hôtel du Gouvernement for the bedroom in the flats of the Countess d'Angiviller (reproduced) - Private collection - Viel collection, sale by Maurice and Etienne Ader, Paris, Galerie George Petit, 24 May 1932, lot no. 89 - Private collection, sale Mes Couturier et de Nicolay, Paris, Palais d'Orsay, 21 June 1979, lot n°127 (reproduced) Ordre du garde général des meubles de la Couronne n°57 of 23 February 1786 mentions for the Rambouillet estate, under the direction of the sculptor Jean Hauré, Crown furniture contractor for Riesener (fig. 1): 1 chest of drawers of 4 feet and 6 inches and 2 corners in mahogany wood. 900 livres (An O1 3288) corresponding to the dimensions of our piece of furniture. The memorandum of the Suppliers of the Garde Meuble de la Couronne for the first half of 1786 in Paris (AN O1 3638), as part of Mr Riesener's tender for the cabinetwork, mentions our chest of drawers with a more precise description this time from the cabinetmaker (fig. 2): More elaborate mahogany chest of drawers than the previous one with wooden mouldings around the panels, a gilded moulding below the frieze decorated with consoles, chiselled capitals (on the legs) and keyhole shoes in rings gilded with ground gold... 400 livres A discovery during the appraisal: the inventory number enabling the chest of drawers to be located in the flats of the Countess d'Angiviller. The discovery of an inventory number in black ink not mentioned in the 1932 and 1979 sale catalogues, uncovered during the April 2026 appraisal, revealed the partially faded number 668. This corresponds to the November 1787 inventory of the Rambouillet estate, which also includes No. 668. This allows us to locate the chest of drawers on the first floor, in the flats of the Countess d'Angiviller, and more precisely in her bedroom. Inventory of the Château de Rambouillet, November 1787 (An 3440, f° n° 668) (fig. 2) : 1 chest of drawers of 4 feet and 3 inches with two large and three small drawers in mahogany wood decorated with ring entrances, mouldings and hooves in gilded copper and ground gold, the top in veined white marble. (An O1 3440) We note the difference of three inches noted in this inventory probably due to a measurement error, which is common in inventories of these periods. Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806) was a cabinetmaker of German origin who trained in the workshop of Jean-François Oeben. Awarded the title of master on 23 January 1768, he rose rapidly through the ranks. In 1774, he succeeded Gilles Joubert and obtained the title of ordinary cabinetmaker to the King for the furniture of the Crown. This prestigious distinction testifies to his success and the excellence of his craftsmanship in producing luxury furniture. Bibliography: - J. Nicolay, L'Art et la Manière des Maîtres Ébénistes français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1956 & 1976, Fig. AA (reproduced). - R. Serrette, "Le mystère des double G couronnés enfin élucidé", L'Objet d'art, October 2024, p. 77. - A. Maes, L'hôtel du comte d'Angiviller à Rambouillet. Une demeure à la mode à la vieille de la Révolution, 2024, Versalia, Revue de la Société des Amis de Versailles, p. 165 (reproduced) - A. Maes, Le comte d'Angiviller, Directeur des Arts sous louis XVI, 2025, Monelle Hayot eds - Archives nationales, Paris, An O1 3288, An O1 3440, An O1 3638. Expert : Arnaud Romieux Tel : 06 08 27 09 92
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About the sale Fine and decorative arts, past and present
Auction location
Auction time 06/23/2026 at 1:30 PM
Ref. : 0546 - 29
Lot description modified on 06/04/2026 at 12:26 PM
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