• Width:
  5ft 2in Inches
• Height:
  8ft 4 in Inches
• Depth:
  24 1/2 in Inches
• Period:
  18th Century
• Origin:
  France

The marquetry technique perfected by master ébéniste André-Charles Boulle in the 17th century inspired the most gifted cabinetmakers of his time to embrace this remarkable craft so much so that the process now bears his name. This incredible Louis XIV cabinet, or bibliothèque, was created by the distinguished ébéniste Nicolas Sageot and is one of only a handful known to be marked with his stamp. Sageot and Boulle were the two greatest ébénistes of the 17th century. To acquire a grand example of Sageot's work, especially one stamped with his mark, is to acquire an important piece of decorative arts history. The entire façade is adorned with a most luxurious tortoiseshell, brass boulle marquetry and ormolu mounts of unprecedented quality. The quality of Sageot's work on such a monumental cabinet is superb and is perhaps his crowning achievement.

A similar, yet less ornate bibliothèque is pictured in Le Mobilier Français du XVIII Siècle by Pierre Kjellberg, 1998, page 767.

Stamped "Nicolas Sageot"

Circa 1715

Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731) is first recorded as working in the Grande Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1698 as an ouvrier libre or free workman and became a member of the cabinetmaker's guild and master eight years later. In 1711, he married Marie Brigitte Roussel, daughter of the ébéniste Jacques Roussel, and operated a thriving workshop that specialized in the production of commodes, armoires and desks. In 1720, he retired unexpectedly at the rather young age of 54, leaving behind a body of work that is comparable only to that of the legendary André-Charles Boulle. He was one of very few ébénistes of his time to occasionally stamp his furniture, and of those few, an even smaller number have ever been identified. His works have been discovered in a handful of museums and royal collections including The Wallace Collection and the Swedish Royal Collection in Stockholm.