A RARE LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND PARCEL-GILT EBONY BUREAU PLAT circa 1765-70, stamped J. F. Leleu and Duhamel

stamped twice Vente Paderewski Riond-Bosson, 1954.

Possibly Ernestine de Castellane (1788-1850), duchesse d'Otrante,and by descent to:
Jacques-Henri-Léonor, comte Le Marois (1863-1920), who sold the Chalet de Riond-Bosson furnished in 1897 to:
Ignacy Jan Paderewsky, sold from his collection, Chalet de Riond Bosson, Morges (Switzerland), November 11, 1954, lot 565
Galerie Ramsey, Paris
Sotheby's, Collection of Charles de Bestegui, Château de Groussay, sold on the premises, June 2-6, 1999, lot 290
Bernard Steinitz, Paris

With scattered construction cracks; not extensive. Ebony with fine age cracks, chips, abrasions and some small restorations and infills; most to top. Ebony capitals of legs with minor patches and restoration. Refinished. Regilt, gilding with some losses. Metal inlay of top with very slight buckling in areas. Ormolu with some oxidation and rubbing; most to sabot and ormolu band of top. Leather inlay of top later. In good 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.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), the celebrated pianist, composer and second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, first rented the villa in Morges in 1896 which he purchased fully furnished in 1897. It would appear that the furnishings of the Villa de Riond-Bosson had stayed largely intact under the ownership of descendants of Ernestine de Castellane. The latter (1788-1850) was the widow of Joseph Fouché (1759-1820) the duc d'Otrante, Napoleon's chief of police. The duchesse, who had decided to live in Switerland, purchased the Chalet of Riond-Bosson. When she died, childless in 1850, the house passed to her nephew, Adélaide-Louis-Reimbord, marquis d'Estourmel, and two further generations of that family before passing to the comte Le Marois in 1879. As this house had never been the prinicipal residence of any of her descendants and the 1879 inventory describes the house as being fully furnished, it is possible that this desk belonged to the duchesse d'Otrante.

Although stamped by the celebrated ébéniste Jean-François Leleu (1729-1807), this piece has little in common with this maker's work.  This piece dates from about the same time Leleu received his maitrise in 1764 and it is more likely that he stamped it either as a restorer or as a marchand maybe ten or twenty years after its production. It has been suggested that it is closer to the known work of the ébéniste René Dubois (1737-1799).  In particular, it is reminiscent of the highly unusual green lacquer bureau plat, circa 1765, by Dubois with a distinguished early Russian provenance, possibly Catherine II (1729-1796), Paul I (1754-1801) and Prince Kurakin (1752-1818).  This table has been linked to designs by the architect Charles De Wailly published in 1760 (see S. Eriksen, Early Neoclassicism in France, London, 1974, pl. 329 and 330). Plate 330 incorporates figures of sirens similar to those on the Wallace table.  Plate 329 shows the very unusual feature of a curved vase to the side sections similar to those on the present desk.