A very fine pair of marble-topped gilt-bronze mounted mahogany consoles desserte each stamped C.Topino JME Louis XVI, late 18th century

each of demi-lune form with a moulded grey and white marble top, above a frieze drawer flanked by a curved drawer, each with gilt-bronze panelling and beading, above two shelves (possibly reveneered) with a pierced gilt-bronze gallery, with a solid backboard, the stiles at the front and rear applied with gilt-­bronze ribbon tied trophies of Learning, on square tapering legs with gilt-bronze collars and guttae terminating in gilt-bronze sabots; one bearing the paper label at the rear 'D'Orleans a Beaugency;' both bearing the label no 8635 domicile (2)

Sold in these rooms, lot 134, 16th December 1966.
Partridge Fine Art Ltd, London, 1975.
The Estate of Marie Vergottis, sold as lot 202 in these rooms, 14th June 2000.

 

Comparative Literature:

P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français Le mobilier français du XVIII^e siècle, Paris, 1998, pp. 38-57, illustrates p.57, fig.32, a virtually identical console desserte by Topino save that it does not have a marble top (sold Galleria, 4th April, 1974). It has the same distinctive ribbon-tied trophy mounts as on this console desserte.

Charles Topino (1742-1803), received master in 1773.

Sylvian Barbier Sainte Marie, L'Estampille/l'Objet d'Art, October 1990, no.340 p.57, 'Charles Topino, maître ébéniste et entrepreneur fécond', illustrates a very similar console desserte with identical trophy mounts except that it is missing its gilt-bronze panelling on the central drawer, the stiles are fluted and it has circular tapering legs (sold Etude Couturier Nicolay, 26th April, 1989). The author stares that seven examples of this type of console desserte by Charles Topino are known.

Two nearly identical consoles desserte by Topino are illustrated in Jean Nicolay, L'Art et la Manière des Maîtres Ebénistes Français au XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1956, p.463, figs.S,R. They are inset with marble tops fitted with gilt-bronze galleries, but are otherwise identical. All have the same corner mounts incorporating ribbon-tied foliage centering globes, and all are veneered with a plain panel of mahogany outlined with gilt-bronze borders.

Identical corner mounts are also found on a secrétaire à àbattant signed Topino (illustrated Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Sièle. Paris, 1998. p.846).

Also see a secrétaire stamped Topino with identical trophy mounts sold Sotheby's Monaco, 3rd July 1993, as lot 178.

Charles Topino was established at the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and among his clientele were members of the aristocracy and the marchand-ébénistes including Delorme and Tuart. His pieces were described as being 'à l'antique' which was the expression for taste devoted to neoclassical ideas in the late 18th century. His daybook covering the years between 1771 and 1779 has survived and documents, for example, the names of the bronziers who supplied him, amongst them Jean-Baptiste Dubuisson, maître-fondeur in 1765, who delivered the finest mounts in this period. It is known that the gilt-bronze mounts with which Topino embellished his furniture were cast by Viret, chased by Chamboin and Dubuisson and gilded by Bécard, Gérard and Vallet.