Title
A Regence Style Bureau Plat
Date
c. 1895
Description
A REGENCE STYLE BUREAU PLAT (French, circa 1895) by Alfred Beurdeley after an original model by Andre Charles Boulle (1642-1732). It is ormolu-mounted, Indian tortoise shell veneered. The rectangular top features an ormolu rim encasing a black gilt-leather writing surface. The shaped frieze has a recessed drawer at the center decorated on each side with an ormolu grotesque mascaron, one crying (representing Heraclitus) and one laughing (representing Democritus) framed by a molded ormolu encadrement and bold mounts chiseled with gadroons and bundled leaves flanked by a pair of drawers with ormolu encadrements and female mask escutcheons above drop handles. The reverse has a matching false drawer, and the whole is raised on cabriole legs with concave sides and scrolling ormolu mounts terminating in acanthus clad feet.
Cultural Origin
French
Medium
tortoiseshell
Extent
31 3/8" x 71" x 38 3/4"
Collection
Source
Gift of Gladys R. Thomas, Cornelia Coudenhove-Kalergi, and Eugene Roberts.
Identifier
PSNC.2531
Related Materials
Beurdeley Archives, Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Galerie Georges Petit Auction Catalogue 9 May 1895.
For more information about this item, please contact its owning institution.