Provenance: Purchased from Harrods in London, UK, in 1981 for £4000.
The exchange to Canadian dollars at the time came to $9700, which after taking inflation into account, is the equivalent spending power of approximately $33,000 today.
A magnificent and rare Napoleon III centre table, richly decorated with exquisite Boulle marquetry and lavish gilt ormolu mounts. Beautifully conceived as a sculptural focal point, the serpentine-shaped top is adorned with intricate brass inlay in the celebrated manner of André-Charles Boulle, the legendary cabinetmaker to Louis XIV whose innovative marquetry techniques became synonymous with the finest French furniture. During the reign of Napoleon III, Parisian ébénistes revived Boulle’s work with extraordinary skill, producing some of the most luxurious furniture of the nineteenth century.
The shaped frieze is embellished with finely engraved brass marquetry set against a rich tortoiseshell-style base and framed by a beautifully chased ormolu border. At its centre, an imposing gilt bronze mascaron emerges above an elaborately cast pedestal, while the boldly scrolled tripod base is enriched with pierced ormolu ornament and acanthus detailing, terminating in extravagant clamshell feet. Every angle reveals another finely executed decorative element, demonstrating the exceptional artistry of the period. Protected beneath a custom fitted glass top, the intricate marquetry remains the visual centrepiece of the table.
Boulle marquetry is created by cutting sheets of brass and tortoiseshell together before assembling them into elaborate scrollwork, arabesques, and foliate motifs – a painstaking process that made these furnishings among the most prestigious produced in nineteenth-century France.
France, Circa 1865–1875
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