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A pair of gilt-bronze-mounted black and gilt Chinese lacquer encoignures stamped Demoulin JME Louis XV, circa 1750
Estimate
50,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description
- wood, lacquer, gilt-bronze, marble
- 89cm. high, 72cm wide, 51cm; 2ft. 11in., 2ft. 4¼in., 1ft. 8in.
each with a scalloped brêche d'Alep marble top above a cupboard door decorated with a Chinese lacquer panel depicting figures in rocky landscape, within a scrolling foliate gilt-bronze encadrement, raised on cabriole legs
Provenance
Dukes of Albufera, Château de Bizy;
Etienne Ader, Palais Galliera, Paris, 11th December 1969;
Hotel Drouot, Libert, Paris, Succession d'un grand amateur, 20th November 2002, where bought for €110,000 by the present owner.
Literature
Eric Julian, L'Objet d'Art, August 1999, Le mobilier en laque de Jean Demoulin, p. 74-83;
Condition
In overall good original condition. There is a large, vertical hairline age crack to the centre of the laqcuer panel of one encoignure and a small vertical age crack to the upper left hand side of the same piece. There are two short, vertical hairline age cracks on each side of the bottom part of the lacquer panel on the other encoignure and one short vertical hairline age crack to the upper part of that piece. Minor retouching to the lacquer on both encoignures.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Comparative Literature:
Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris 1989, p.251;
Thibaut Wolvesperges, Le meuble français en laque au XVIIIe siècle, Paris 2000, p. 50;
This type of relief lacquer with dense Chinese motifs seems to have been Jean Demoulin's speciality. The polychrome décor, with the same type of lacquer, also appears on a series of pieces made by Demoulin, notably one formerly in Roberto Polo's collection sold Sotheby's New York, 3rd November 1989, lot 100. A further example from the collection of the Duke of Choiseul at Château de Chanteloup is today in the Musée de Tours (illustrated at Kjellberg, op. cit.., p. 251).
A set consisting of a commode and a pair of encoignures that belonged to the Marquis de Ségur at Château de Méry-sur-Oise. The latter is reproduced in Wolvesperges, op.cit., p.50. Discussing the Marquis de Ségur's pieces as well as the encoignures presented here, originally paired with a commode, Wolvesperges notes their immense originality through the use of panels previously forming the front and back of a lacquer screen, like the one in the Brugier collection from the Qianlong period (1736-1796).
Jean Demoulin (1715-1798)
Demoulin or "Desmoulins" was an ébéniste from Burgundy who lived most of his life in Paris before returning to Dijon at the end of his career. He began to work in Paris in 1745 for the marchand and ébéniste Pierre Migeon and had opened his workshop on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a neighbourhood popular among Parisian furniture makers. Although the date that he was received master is unknown, he stamped several pieces of lacquer panelled furniture and amassed a wealthy clientele that included the Duke of Choiseul and the Prince of Condé.
Château de Bizy
Prior to their sale in 1969, the present pair of encoignures formed part of the furnishings of Château de Bizy in Vernon, 50 miles nort-west of Paris.
The castle was built by Constant d'Ivry for Fouquet, Duke of Belle-Isle, Marshal of France from 1741 to 1743. Bizy was successively owned by King Louis XV, the Count of Eu, the Duke of Penthièvre, King Louis-Philippe, Baron Fernand de Schickler and the Dukes of Albufera in whose ownership it remains to this day.
Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris 1989, p.251;
Thibaut Wolvesperges, Le meuble français en laque au XVIIIe siècle, Paris 2000, p. 50;
This type of relief lacquer with dense Chinese motifs seems to have been Jean Demoulin's speciality. The polychrome décor, with the same type of lacquer, also appears on a series of pieces made by Demoulin, notably one formerly in Roberto Polo's collection sold Sotheby's New York, 3rd November 1989, lot 100. A further example from the collection of the Duke of Choiseul at Château de Chanteloup is today in the Musée de Tours (illustrated at Kjellberg, op. cit.., p. 251).
A set consisting of a commode and a pair of encoignures that belonged to the Marquis de Ségur at Château de Méry-sur-Oise. The latter is reproduced in Wolvesperges, op.cit., p.50. Discussing the Marquis de Ségur's pieces as well as the encoignures presented here, originally paired with a commode, Wolvesperges notes their immense originality through the use of panels previously forming the front and back of a lacquer screen, like the one in the Brugier collection from the Qianlong period (1736-1796).
Jean Demoulin (1715-1798)
Demoulin or "Desmoulins" was an ébéniste from Burgundy who lived most of his life in Paris before returning to Dijon at the end of his career. He began to work in Paris in 1745 for the marchand and ébéniste Pierre Migeon and had opened his workshop on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a neighbourhood popular among Parisian furniture makers. Although the date that he was received master is unknown, he stamped several pieces of lacquer panelled furniture and amassed a wealthy clientele that included the Duke of Choiseul and the Prince of Condé.
Château de Bizy
Prior to their sale in 1969, the present pair of encoignures formed part of the furnishings of Château de Bizy in Vernon, 50 miles nort-west of Paris.
The castle was built by Constant d'Ivry for Fouquet, Duke of Belle-Isle, Marshal of France from 1741 to 1743. Bizy was successively owned by King Louis XV, the Count of Eu, the Duke of Penthièvre, King Louis-Philippe, Baron Fernand de Schickler and the Dukes of Albufera in whose ownership it remains to this day.