A TRANSITIONAL STYLE GILT BRONZE MOUNTED KINGWOOD, STAINED AND PEN-WORKED FRUITWOOD MARQUETRY CYLINDER DESK AFTER A MODEL IN THE JONES COLLECTION AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM Paris, circa 1895, possibly Paul-Charles Sormani (b. 1848) or Henry Dasson (1825 - 1896)

decorated in the round with very fine marquetry of trophies allegorical of music, war and the arts, classical urns with floral garlands and scènes champêtres, the pull-out writing surface mechanically opening the cylinder to reveal an arrangement of five small drawers beneath a shelf, the frieze faux-drawer opening to reveal three hinged compartments, one with a mirror.

W.G. Paulson Townsend, Measured Drawings of French Furniture in the South Kensington Museum, London, 1899, plates 1-7 (for drawings of the period example)
Camille Mestdagh, L'Ameublement d'Art Français:  1850-1900, Paris, 2010, p. 190 (for the model)

Overall in good condition and impressive presentation. The gilt bronze is well cast, but shows the usual tarnishing and dirt. The veneer with the usual light hairline scratches and fading, consistent with age and use. There are no major condition issues to report. Visible scratches and wear to pull out writing surface and leather as a result of opening and closing.
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.

A period example of the present model is in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Jones Collection, accession number 1043:3-1882).  Peter Thornton has noted that the designs of the marquetry trophies are nearly identical to engravings by J.C. Delafosse and dated the museum's sécretaire to shortly after the volume's publication in 1767-7.  He has also suggested that this example may have been executed by the cabinetmaker A.L. Gilbert and the marqueter Christophe Wolff.  Nineteenth-century examples are known to have been made by Paul-Charles Sormani, with a notable example exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900.  At the time, Sormani referred to it as "Sécretaire du South Kensington," in reference to the previously mentioned period example at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  It is interesting to note that by this point in time Sormani had acquired the master models belonging to the cabinetmaker Henry Dasson at the auction following the closing of his business in 1894.  Another example by Sormani was delivered to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York, by the decorator George Glaenzer and is now in the permanent collection of Château-sur-mer in Newport, Rhode Island.  More recently, an example by Sormani was sold Sothebys, Amsterdam, April 16, 2007, lot 243, for €72,000.  Although the present lot is apparently unsigned, the quality of manufacture is of the highest Parisian standard, expected only from the very best cabinetmakers of the period such as Sormani and Dasson.  So while the desk can surely be credited to Sormani or Dasson, it is nearly impossible to make a distinction between the two cabinetmakers in making an attribution.