A gilt-bronze mounted palisander and inlaid brass première -partie boulle marquetry bibliothèque basse, by Mathieu Befort, Paris circa 1880

with a green veined marble top of breakfront outline with a central door, centred by figures of Socrates and Aspasia in relief , stamped BEFORT JEUNE

In very good restored condition, with some very minor old cracks commensurate with age, the bronze with some minor surface dirt.
"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."

Mathieu Befort (1813-1880) who always stamped his work Befort Jeune was the son of Jean-Baptiste Befort, who was of Belgian origin and renowned for having supplied furniture for the appartments of the Duc d'Orléans. He was established at numbers 1 and 6 rue Neuve-Saint-Gilles in Paris from 1844 to 1880. As an ébèniste-marqueteur he specialised in Boulle marquetry and in particular extremely high quality work inspired by the work of André-Charles-Boulle himself.

The model on which the present lot is based derives from the form of Bibliothèques Basses which evolved within Boulle's oeuvre  around 1700. The form remained extremely popular from the later years of the reign of Louis XIV well into the 19th century. A number were ordered for the Château de Chantilly and are now preserved in the Louvre. Two other pairs were taken to Saint-Cloud in 1802, where they were placed in the Galerie d'Apollon. Louis Philippe made alterations to the height of these pieces. His interest and reordering of some of the decorative schemes at Saint-Cloud undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of such work during the 19th century. The passion was continued by Napoleon III, whose patronage stimulated ébénistes such as Befort and Grohé.