Gervais-Maximilien-Eugene Durand b. 1839 A pair of gilt-bronze mounted and brown stained tortoiseshell inlaid ebonized Boulle marquetry instruments Paris, circa 1865

one a thermometer and the other a barometer, the thermometer stamped G. DURAND to the back

Sotheby's New York, April 22, 2010, lot 121

Overall in good condition and presentation; the gilding is original, minor dents, scratches and nicks, consistent with age and use; minor lifting to brass boulle marquetry. Please note this lot contains endangered material which may require a CITES permit to export. Please contact the department with any questions prior to sale.
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.

Durand was born in Paris on 30th July 1839 and began work in 1870 at 12 rue de La Cerisaie. He later moved to the more fashionable rue St. Antoine. He was the first of three generations of highly sucessful cabinet makers, exhibiting widely at the International Exhibitions. At the 1889 Exhibition in Paris, he was commended as, "un ébéniste aussi habile que modeste, qui expose pour la premième fois des meubles de premier ordre, dont il est à la fois le dessinateur et l'exécutant; il marche sur la voie tracée par les maîtres tels que Beurdeley et Dasson."