Lot 69
  • 69

A Flemish Baroque tortoiseshell, brass, copper and pewter-inlaid brass-mounted rosewood and ebony desk, circle of Henri van Soest first quarter 18th century

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • wood, tortoiseshell, brass, pewter
  • height 54 in.; width 39 in.; depth 25 in.
  • 137 cm; 99 cm; 63.5 cm

Condition

In good restored condition. Restorations and patches to pewter, tortoiseshell, and brass inlay. Rosewood with some age cracks. Slightly shaky on legs but stable. Some losses to tortoiseshell. Pitting to pewter and brass with oxidation. Leather replaced and in good condition. Restored break to proper right side of stretcher; stretcher possibly partially reveneered on one side. Very minor scattered buckling to inlay.
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

The present lot belongs to a group of marquetry desks now firmly attributed to the Antwerp cabinetmakers and probably the workshop of Henri van Soest, see Ria Fabri, Meubles d'apparat des Pays-Bas méridionaux, Brussels, 1989. However, according to Fabri, any attributions must be tentative due to the paucity of information on van Soest and the number of cabinetmakers working in Antwerp in the early eighteenth century. For a comparable desk commissioned by the Elector J. H. von Orsbesk and attributed to van Soest, see Thibaut Wolvesperges, Belgian Furniture 1500-1800, Brussels, 2000, p. 52.