Boulle Régence-Period Ormolu Candelabra

André Charles Boulle is considered one of the most important and talented French cabinet-makers of all time. He mastered the technique of marquetry using brass and tortoise shell inlay on his elegant cabinets. Furthermore, the majority of his work was owned and cherished by one of the most discerning and important historical figures, Louis XIV. Although Boulle is known for his cabinet work, he was also quite prolific in making doré bronze lighting fixtures that exude the luxurious aesthetic of Louis XIV.

This particular set of candelabra (circa 1715-20) is a prime example of early Rococo style. In a close study of the candelabra’s stems and arms, cast from acanthus, we find scrolling foliage, strapwork, bearded masks, while the pierced tripod base is cast with masks and seated putti. Additionally, these candelabra were owned by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, the British banker and politician from the important international banking family making them even more significant.

Boulle utilized the ormolu technique to bond gold to bronze in both his lighting fixtures and his furniture. The highly toxic process involved heating mercury to very high temperatures in order for the gold to bond to the bronze. Unlike most gilders who utilize this technique, Boulle lived to be 90 years old!

Like so many other artistic geniuses, Boulle’s creations have been copied by many other artisans, to satisfy the demand for his style. To own one of these is a great find for any collector. However, in the case of this rare pair of Régence-period, four-light candelabra, we are confident in attributing them to Boulle himself.

Though we are accustomed to offering our clients the rarest and finest of all antiques, fine art and estate jewelry, this magnificent pair of candelabra is a first even for our internationally renowned gallery. To see more Boulle and Boulle-inspired work, click here.

Boulle Régence-Period Ormolu Candelabra

Gilbert Secrétaire

Our collection is so extensive that it can, at times, be overwhelming to try to be knowledgeable about every piece.

Today, I would like to tell you about an unforgettable treasure of the neoclassical period in France: a Secrétaire by André Louis Gilbert.

While Louis XV’s taste is remembered as Rococo, Louis XVI preferred a much more clean and linear style, as inspired by the Neoclassical movement that generated a lot of interest in European Courts. The resurgence of classical taste was incited by the discovery of antique Roman sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the mid-18^th century.

Among the most talented Cabinet-makers of his time, Gilbert decorated his pieces with superb architectural inlaid designs. While most cabinet makers incorporated mostly flat designs, comprised of musical, floral or geometric motifs, Gilbert truly embraced the potential of marquetry to create three-dimensional scenes in a two-dimensional medium, just as artists would do with paint. Gilbert paid particular attention to the issues of composition and perspective in his designs. And they had so much detail! But what truly set his marquetry apart from his contemporaries was the timely incorporation of idealized Neoclassical landscapes, and it is particularly fitting for these scenes to be housed in a piece of furniture that embodies Louis XVI style. It is simply spectacular!

Of course, this piece has many other fascinating features, as it is a museum-quality piece.

Nonetheless, it is apparent that Gilbert invested all of his talent into making this secrétaire truly exceptional. Might I mention that the marquetry includes rare amaranth wood and mother of pearl?

A few years later, Gilbert would discontinue his work as a cabinet maker to take part in the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution in general…

Life is short, why not own the very best?

Round Dining Table by Robert Jupe

For years, furniture designers tried to figure out how to make round tables expand while still maintaining their shape.  Several designs have come about, but none have come to close to the elegance, sophistication, and engineering genius of “Jupe’s Improved Expanding Table,” invented by London upholsterer Robert Jupe, registered as patent 6,788, on September 11 1835.

Made of Cuban mahogany in the 1830s and in exquisite condition, this Jupe table is an extremely rare find.  Designers of the Regency era sought to combine the most advanced technical innovations of the day with superb and beautiful craftsmanship.

The Table Expanded

Though Robert Jupe’s incredibly innovative table was well received, his company, Johnstone, Jupe & Co., produced it for only 5 years (1830-1835.)  Jupe’s clever mechanism has been widely copied by designers such as Oscar de la Renta in New York and Theodore Alexander in London.

Eight crescent-shaped iron bars are attached on one end to the undersides of eight pie-slice shaped pieces of wood that comprise the tabletop. The iron bars are attached on their other end to the table’s central base in a circular fashion.

By turning the tabletop 90 degrees, counter clockwise, the crescent-shaped bars move the slices outward, leaving gaps into which leaves made of the same wood as the original table top can be inserted, instantly expanding the table’s seating capacity. The leaves can be removed by simply twisting the tabletop 90 degrees clockwise, and rejoining the eight pie slices to form a circle again.

The table is complete with its original leaves and extends from a smaller diameter of 66” to an expansive 92,” creating a beautiful dining table for eight.

One of only a handful known to exist, the table belongs center stage in any home.

The Table Expanded with Leaves

This astonishing 16th-century dressoir (or sideboard) was created in Lyon during the height of the French Renaissance.

As both an antiques dealer and a collector, I’m always actively searching for items that embody the greatest qualities of their type. Now, it may sound odd to say that a piece of furniture is exciting, but this 16^th-century sideboard is certainly one piece that would top off a museum curator’s wish list. Created during the French Renaissance, this Francis I-period sideboard, or dressoir, is over 425 years old, and represents an inconceivably small number of furnishings from this era to exist–anywhere. Just look at the condition of this sideboard and you can understand why “exciting” really just scratches the surface of how magnificent it really is.

I first encountered this dressoir over two decades ago by chance at the home of a private collector. Its richly detailed carving, great size and outstanding condition immediately struck me. Of course it wasn’t for sale. Several years later, while having the unique opportunity to explore paperwork at the Frick Collection archives, I discovered that they had what is the mate to this exceptional masterpiece, purchased by Henry Clay Frick in 1917. Mr. Frick paid an incredible $110,000 for it at the time, which would equal approximately $26,300,000 in 2010 currency (using the relative share of the GDP conversion table). That price puts the Frick dressoir as among the most expensive pieces of furniture ever to sell in the history of the world. Talk about exciting! So, when M.S. Rau Antiques had the opportunity to acquire our sideboard from the private collector, I jumped at the chance.

In terms of craftsmanship and condition, it is virtually impossible to comprehend that this dressoir was created over 425 years ago.

It would have taken the most skilled artisans to create this dressoir during what was the very first period of decorative furniture. The exterior is made entirely of walnut, with a sturdy oak interior. Comparable yet less sizeable examples of great French Renaissance pieces have been in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, The British Museum and The Louvre, and are featured in the important treatise on 16th-century furniture Le Meuble en France au XVI Siecle (The Furniture in France in the 16th Century). However, to the best of our knowledge, there has not been a cabinet of even remote similarity come up for sale anywhere in the world within the past fifty years.

No serious antiques enthusiast knows exactly where their passion for collecting is going to lead them. I certainly never expected events to unfold they way they did in the acquisition of this sideboard. It just goes to show that you never know what you’ll find, or what adventures you may embark upon, in the quest for the best. Now that’s exciting.

To learn more about the Francis I Renaissance Sideboard, click here.

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There is nothing quite like the workmanship, look or feel of anything Louis Vuitton. They are pure indulgence.  Even his vintage pieces are phenomenal.  They are from an era when craftsmen would exceed your expectations, when price was not a consideration and the great houses of Asprey, Hermes and Louis Vuitton were establishing their reputations.

The cornerstone of Louis Vuitton’s late 19^th century Parisian business was his sturdy leather luxury steamer trunks, originally encased in canvas.  They were built to survive voyages in the holds and cabins of passenger ships and on the backs of elephants.  Indian royalty were some of the first to commission trunks from Louis Vuitton for long-haul travel, some containing simple hanging racks, others with portable beds!

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And when you are not traveling the high seas or on the back of an elephant, these trunks can double for a great room accessory, a magnificent storage piece, or even a coffee table.  Your friends will have Vuitton Envy.

What more could one person ask for?  Sophistication, elegance, durability and versatility. We’ve acquired three of them, hot off the container that just came in. These are truly unique and special pieces, and I don’t need to convince you of the quality with a name like Vuitton on the box. One or all of these could be spectacular in the right home. I’m anxious to see whose house they will adorn. Call me if you think it should be yours!

All the best,

Susan