“Violin shape” Boulle marquetry center table

Boulle marquetry center table with one drawer. Superb brass ornamentation on red tortoise shell on the top and sides.The rest is in blacked pear wood. Entirely adorned with gilded bronzes. The top is encircled by a baguette finely chiseled with ovals and foliage. Gilded bronze masks on the four sides and arched legs adorned with espagnolettes, busts of women (Venus) wearing scallops. The top is protected by a custom-made glass shelf. Professionally restored.

Size: H 79 cm – W 134 cm – D 80 cm

Paris, Napoleon III period.

Lit: The Boulle work is created by glueing together sheets of tortoiseshell and brass which are then cut according to the desired design. Once cut, the layers can be combined to form either a tortoiseshell ground inlaid with engraved brass or a brass ground inlaid with tortoiseshell, known as first part and counterpart respectively.
André-Charles Boulle was one of the first cabinetmakers to make effective use of gilt-bronze mounts. The mounts not only protect vulnerable parts of the carcass but also add a great deal of sculptural beauty to the piece. (paragraphe from a MET article)