Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts

The "Seckendorff" Commode. IMPORTANT AND RARE BAROQUE COMMODE BY FRANCOIS LIEUTAUD (CA.1665-1748). AFTER A DESIGN BY JEAN BERAIN, OWNED BY THE COUNT PALATINE CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH VON SECKENDORFF-ABERDAR (1679-1759), DIPLOMAT AND MINISTER OF BRANDENBURG-ANSBACH,

France, Paris ca. 1728/30.

Oak body with amaranth in veneer and parqueted. Shaped top, edged in brass and with inlaid brass, and parqueted surface in veneer. The front, with 2 rows of drawers. The four upper drawers are rectangular, and the 2 lower drawers have a cut-out, framing the gilt bronze mask. Very fine handles and finely worked escutcheons. The sides and the legs, framed with brass fillets. Solid locks with gilt covers. The key features the coat-of-arms of the Count Palatine von Seckendorff-Aberdar.

80 x 130 x 65 cm.

ASTRONOMICAL TABLE CLOCK "COPERNIC",

Restoration, Switzerland ca. 1820/30. The dial and the tellurium, signed F. Ducommun à La Chaux de Fonds.

Tower-shaped alabaster housing, carved with laurel frieze, blossom and flower garland. Dial with white enamel chapter ring and the hours in Arabic numerals, the center of the dial with an oval enamel cartouche with signature: François Ducommun. The top features a gilt tellurium driven by the clock movement. The center features the Sun, around which the enameled Earth moves in the course of a year. The Earth rotates around its own axis in 24 hours, and, in turn, is orbited by an enameled Moon in 29.5 days. Small chapter ring, with a fixed, blued steel arrow indicating the date of the respective synodic month. The tellurium is surrounded by a silver-plated annual ring, indicating the month and the date by means of a fixed nonius. Below it is a fixed ring with 12 enamel cartouches displaying the signs of the zodiac. Neuchâtel 8-day movement, striking the 3/4-hour on 2 gongs. Anchor movement with Graham escapement. The movement has a small subdial for setting the movement. On a blackened wooden base, with a glass cloche.

Clock: D 17.5 cm. H 42 cm. Base and glass cloche: D 25 cm. H 57 cm.

ENAMEL RELIQUARY CABINET, so-called châsse,

Gothic, Limoges, 2nd half of the 13th century.

Copper, engraved and fire-gilt, and champlevé enamel in blue, white and red. Decorated with stylized tendrils and busts of angels all around. The front displaying scenes from the life of Mary. The cover crowned with 5 spheres, 2 of which are in rock crystal (possibly replaced later). The central sphere features a cross. Later lock and piercing for a key. The underside of the base with inventory number O.2 in red.

20.5 x 8 x 15.5 cm.

COROMANDEL LACQUER COMMODE,

Louis XV, Paris ca. 1740/50 with later modification.

Wooden core, lacquered black in French lacquer in the "gout chinois", the fronts of the drawers and the sides with curved bronze frames. The front with depictions of a garden landscape and a boat on a lake. The sides feature various symbols and objects. Gilt bronze mounts and fillets, in part later, and sabots. Light grey marble top, later.

130 x 65 x 87 cm.

FINELY INLAID MULTI-PURPOSE DESK,

Rococo, Neuwied ca. 1765/68. Workshop Abraham and David Roentgen.

Maple, tulipwood, mahogany, and in part tinted and engraved fruitwoods, opulently and finely inlaid as rocailles, pomegranates, flowers, birds and insects. Hinged top, curved with gilt sabots (incomplete) and horn castors. The legs, originally screwed-on. Two extendable metal supports on the back, as supports for the top, one side of the top lined with green embossed leather (later). The top opens up to display a chest of drawers in mahogany, with 4 compartments with 3 small drawers on each side, over a broad drawer (original iron springs with wood cover for locking, replaced). Top with hinged book support, flanked by 2 compartments under a slatted closure. Gilt, pierced bronze mounts, designed as scrolled leaves. 1 key.

82 x 41(open 87) x 75(98) cm.

COMMODE "À PORTES", FROM THE BEDROOM OF MADEMOISELLE MARS,

Empire, Paris ca. 1825. Signed Benar. Joseph-Marie Bénard, ebenist, active from 1825 to 1850

Flamed mahogany. Rectangular, black/beige speckled Portor marble top. Front with broad drawers over double-doors, the inside with 3 drawers "à l'anglaise". Bronze paw feet in the front, square feet in the rear. The door panels, set with painted porcelain medallions, edged in gilt brass friezes. The medallions depict the Allegories of Music and Poetry.

130.5 x 60 x 92 cm.

VERY FINE AND IMPORTANT LACQUER COMMODE

Transition. France, Paris, ca. 1770. Signed Léonard Boudin (1735-1807). Maitre from 1761 onwards. With Parisian guild stamp: JME.

Wood, black lacquered in Parisian varnish as well as with gilded fluting and profiles "en trompe l'oeil". Rectangular body with rounded front corners on a cut-out frame, with curved legs. The front with 2 sans-traverse drawers, applied with three Chinese lacquer panels, featuring wide park landscapes, framed by gilt bronze mounts. The narrow sides designed in the same manner. Opulent bronze mounts, designed as decorative friezes, laurel garlands and sabots. Circumferential decorative frieze with plaited band. 'Escalettes alpha' marble top. Later locks.

94 x 130 x 65 cm.

COMMODE "À ENCOIGNURES",

Transition, Paris ca. 1765/70. Signed by Jean-François Oeben (1721-1763).

Satinwood, amaranth and mahogany, inlaid in geometric reserves, fillets, and meander frieze. Curved legs with bronze sabots. Front with 3 drawers, the lower drawers sans-traverse, the upper drawer, edged with bronze frieze. The sides with curved doors. Gilt bronze mounts; escutcheons, decorated with leaves. Shaped grey/blue yellow marble top. 2 keys.

127 x 61.5 x 89 cm.

SUITE OF FURNITURE,

Empire, probably Russia ca. 1810/15.

Comprising: 8 chairs and 1 sofa. Mahogany. Padded seats, pierced backrests. Gilt bronze mounts. Yellow, striped silk cover.

Chairs: 61 x 56 x 87 cm. Sofa: 195 x 60 x 87 cm.

BUFFET "À DEUX CORPS",

Renaissance, France, probably Paris, 2nd half of the 16th century.

Walnut, opulently and finely carved. The upper section, the top of which features an interrupted gable and Diana in a framed niche, has paneled double-doors carved with lion heads, palmettes and sculpted eagles. The lower section has 1 drawer over double-doors. The drawer is carved with a winged angel head. The door panels are carved with Allegories of the Four Seasons. The pilasters of the lower section have 4 reserves with depictions of swans and mythical creatures. Both the upper and the lower section have rectangular reserves in black marble and breccia. The lateral walls are paneled. Iron mounts. 1 key.

105 x 42 x 201 cm.