A PAIR OF EMPIRE CARVED MAHOGANY CANAPÉS DE BILLARDS CIRCA 1820, IN THE MANNER OF PIERRE-ANTOINE BELLANGÉ

Acquired from Mallett at Bourdon House, Ltd.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

S. Cordier, Bellangé, ébénistes une histoire du goût au XIXe siecle, Paris, 2012, p. 100, p.429 and p.556

Pierre-Antoine Bellangé (1757-1827) belonged to one of the most important dynasties of cabinetmakers working in Paris in the first half of the 19th century, along with his son Louis-Alexandre Bellangé (1796-1861), his brother Louis-François Bellangé (1759-1827), and the later's son Alexandre Bellangé (1799-1863). The family were official suppliers to the Napoleonic court and subsequently the royal households of the Bourbons and King Louis-Philippe, and also executed major commissions for leading private and overseas clients including the celebrated suite of giltwood seat furniture ordered by President James Monroe for the White House in 1817. Throughout their work, common characteristics are the lion's paws, the rich but refined carved reliefs in mahogany and a flawless quality in design and execution, which can be seen in the present lot.