A pair of gilt-bronze-mounted ebony veneered, tortoiseshell, pewter and brass inlaid contre-and première-partie boulle marquetry cabinets, in the manner of Etienne Levasseur Louis XVI, late 18th century

each with a rectangular Sicilian jasper veneered marble top,the door enclosing a shelf; the backboards with a paper inventory label with ink manuscript `T229'

William Lever, 1^st Viscount Leverhulme, in the apse of the Music Room at Thornton Manor by 1904 (TM.Inv.,1904, p.32,£500), transferred to the Drawing Room by 1907 (TM.Inv.,1907,p.14;TM.Inv.,1912-13,p.17,T136;and T.Inv.T229-230).
Purchased by the present Private collector as lot 50, The Leverhulme Collection, Thornton Manor, Wirral, Merseyside, 26th June 2001 (£105,000)

Clive Aslet, 'Thornton Manor, Cheshire II, the seat of Viscount Leverhulme', Country Life, 8 July 1982, p.111, fig.3, illustrated.

In need of some minor restoration but in generally fair conserved condition. Good provenance. Useful small size. There are some minor chips to the later Sicilian jasper tops which are hardly noticeable but there is an approx one inch section missing from the front right corner of the one in the background as visible from the catalogue photograph which can easily be restored. The mounts are slightly dirty and would benefit from a light clean according to taste and appear to have been regilt. There are some very minor sections of brass and ebony inlay missing which can easily be replaced. There are vertical hairline and other construction cracks in the door panels and sides which need restoring soem of which are visible from the catalogue photograph. There is also a small section of brass foliage off but can easily be reglued on the door of one. On both doors there are sections of brass inlay lifting which need regluing. There are some leafy fronds on both doors which have lost the brass inlay and have been filled in with gilt paint. There has been an obvious alteration to the veneer on the stiles on the present cabinets where there were probably mask mounts. Both have a later shelf. Some of the detail to the engraving on the pewter has been lost.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The form of this pair of cabinets with a marble top, door mounted with a boulle panel, the inlaid stiles and mask mounts on the sides based upon Boulle mounts, is very much in the style of Etienne Levasseur (1721-98), received Master 1766. An example of his work is illustrated by A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers: The Art of the Ebéniste from Louis XIV to the Revolution, Tours, 1989, p.309, fig. 349. The latter is one of a pair of cupboards stamped Levasseur and the mounts in the form of masks have been moulded from a Boulle model. Levasseur was not only a restorer of furniture decorated with tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, popularised by André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), but also made variants of the latter's style. Levasseur transformed cabinets-on-stands by Boulle into low cabinets which either had three drawers at the front or a single door as on these cabinets. Whereas Boulle's work emphasised the surface ornamentation where the marquetry was an extension of the gilt-bronze mounts whilst the architectural elements are of the utmost simplicity, by comparison, Levasseur concentrated on the architectural elements such as the corners emphasised by jutting pilasters with bronze bases and capitals.

The frieze forms a dominant cornice and the base is emphasised by employing large mouldings as on the present pair of cabinets. According to Pradere, op. cit., certain characteristic elements are repeatedly found on most of these pieces, the small circular masks set half-way up the pilasters, or the gilt-bronze frieze composed of openwork gadroons as on the present cabinets. There has been an obvious alteration to the veneer on the stiles on the present cabinets where there were probably mask mounts.
Also see Pradere, op. cit., p.307, for a Boulle pastiche stamped 'Montigny' constructed with old panels of marquetry with a trefoil motif almost identical to that on the door of these cabinets.
A very similar female mask with drapery to that upon the apron of these cabinets and an identical frieze mount, can be found upon a commode stamped Levasseur, supplied by Julliot in 1777 to the Comte d'Artois for the Palais du Temple (the mounts were almost all original models), illustrated by Pradere, op.cit., p. 314, fig. 356.
There are a number of recorded comparative cabinets which are as follows:
-a pair of cabinets, not stamped but attributed to Levasseur and dated Louis XVI, with identical frieze mounts and shaped apron with a boulle marquetry panel, patera and square tapering legs was sold Sotheby's, Monaco, 25-26th June 1983, lot 281.
-a pair of cabinets, not stamped, described as early 19th century, incorporating Louis XIV boulle panels, was sold Sotheby's, Monaco, 22nd June 1986, lot 553. They had an identical apron mount and similarly shaped legs.
-a single cabinet described as by Levasseur, and Louis XVI, but not stamped, with the marque au fer of the Tuileries, sold Regis Bailleul and Agnes Nentas with Deauville Auction House, 13th April 1998, lot 219.
It is likely according to Alexandre Pradere op. cit., that Etienne Levasseur (1721-98, received Master 1766) was apprenticed to one of André-Charles Boulle's sons, such as André-Charles, known as 'Boulle de Sève' or Charles-Joseph. He worked almost exclusively for the marchand-merciers, producing luxury furniture in Japanese lacquer, mahogany and above all in Boulle marquetry. He was mainly concerned with the restoration of Boulle furniture and his stamp is therefore found on many Louis XIV pieces which he restored. This is the case with many pedestals and cabinets in the Louvre, various pieces at Versailles and in the Wallace Collection and several pieces at Vaux-le -Vicomte and in English country houses.