Description
BOOKCASE
In blackened wood and precious wood veneer, decorated with marquetry depicting jasmine flowers in an antique style, foliage scrolls, birds, butterflies and garlands around the edges. It opens via two glazed doors in the upper section and two hinged doors in the lower section, surmounted by a drawer.
The sides are inlaid with framing bands.
Louis XIV period.
Gilded bronze ornamentation.
Height 206; Width 101; Depth 41 cm
(Restored).
Note.
First appearing towards the end of Louis XIV’s reign and particularly prized during the Regency, the jasmine motif denotes a refined variety of floral marquetry set against a dark background. It is characterised by a profusion of star-shaped flowers inlaid with bone or light-coloured wood, imitating jasmine in bloom amidst branches and leafy scrollwork.
The composition is generally centred on a basket, an urn or an entablature beneath a canopy with lambrequins, featuring contrasting colours and a poetic bestiary.
This ornamental vocabulary has its roots in the Italian influence of the Florentine semi-precious stone workshops, adapted for cabinetmaking by the cabinetmakers working for the Court. The leading figure associated with this style of marquetry in the provinces remains Thomas Hache (1664–1747), founder of the famous dynasty of cabinetmakers from Grenoble.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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