Mathieu Béfort dit Béfort Jeune A VERY FINE GILT BRONZE MOUNTED AND DARK STAINED BOULLE STYLE MARQUETRY BUREAU PLAT Paris, circa 1860's

the top fitted with a gilt-tooled brown leather writing surface, within a palissandre veneered banding, frieze drawers and legs entirely veneered in tortoiseshell and engraved brass inlay, the frieze fitted with three drawers, one corner clasp has been removed to reveal the stamp BF for Maison Béfort.  One corner clasp bearing the signature F. Linke.

Overall in good condition and presentation with tarnishing to gilt-bronze consistent with cleaning and age. Scratches to leather top visible in the catalogue illustration and as such consistent with use.
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.

Mathieu Béfort (1813-1880) was the son of Jean-Baptiste Béfort, who was of Belgian origin and renowned for having supplied furniture for the apartments of the Duc d'Orléans. He was established at numbers 1 and 6 rue Neuve-Saint-Gilles in Paris from 1844 to 1880. Mathieu was a gifted ébèniste-marqueteur specializing primarily in Boulle marquetry and in particular extremely high quality work inspired by the work of André-Charles-Boulle himself. The mark BF found on the present lot is most certainly an early way of signing is creations, since the most common marks discovered on most of his oeuvre are punched stamps reading BEFORT JEUNE on the carcass, and marks BEFORT JNE to the reverse of some bronze mounts.