Lot 121
  • 121

A pair of Louis XV giltwood dog kennels forming tabourets circa 1765, one stamped E. NAUROY

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description

  • Etienne Nauroy, maître in 1765
  • wood (Wood, Other-Beechwood)
  • height 20 in.; width 13 in.; depth 13 in.
  • 51 cm; 33 cm; 33 cm

Provenance

The kennels: Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, 1962

The 18th century French silk upholstery: Mayorcas Ltd., London, 1987

Literature

F. J. B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, Vol. I, Greenwich, 1966, pp. 98-99, nos. 68A-B

Condition

With small losses to gesso. Refreshed gilding with losses, rubbing and surface dirt. With minor age and construction cracks, one with minor signs of old worm damage. In good overall condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

During the eighteenth century lapdogs were extremely popular with fashionable ladies of high society and were kept not only for companionship but were considered accessories. Many paintings of the era depict these dogs as symbols of fidelity and the ultimate plaything of their owners. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, one of the best and most well-known painters of the period, included lapdogs in many of his works such as 'The Love Letter,' 'The Shirt Withdrawn' and his famous 'Young Woman playing with a Dog.' For the comfort of these small creatures, dog kennels quickly became fashionable additions to many sophisticated domestic interiors and thus it is not surprising that they were executed and decorated with the outmost care. Paintings and engravings from the period depicting interiors often include dog kennels as is the case in 'La Soirée d'Hyver' by F. R. Ingouf fils for the first volume of Monument du Costume and 'The Thieving Marmoset,' attributed to J. J. Bachelier. Dog kennels were sometimes upholstered on top and formed tabourets that could be used by the dog itself or, in spite of the low height, even by humans. Madame de Pompadour, one of the most fashionable women of the 1700s, also had similar pieces in her apartments in the Château de Saint-Hubert in 1762: "Une niche en tabouret, pour 2 chiens," which was a larger version of this lot. Such dog kennels have become exceedingly rare today and only a few of them can be found in public and private collections (see F. J. B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, Vol. I, Greenwich, 1966, pp. 98-99).