A Louis XV (straw work) marqueterie de paille small table Mid-18th Century

With scattered abrasions, rubbing, age and construction cracks with the largest crack running through top; approx. 22 in. in lenght and 2mm. in width. Straw with scattered small losses and restorations. Interior of drawer with good color retention to straw marquetry. One sabot detached. Ormolu with oxidation and surface dirt. Scattered old worm damage. In good condition.
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.

Marqueterie de paille, or straw marquetry, was very popular in France during the eighteenth century due to a general interest in unusual materials and methods during the Louis XV and Louis XVI eras. The trade in furniture and small decorative items executed in straw marquetry was at its height between 1750 and the Revolution with people across the social spectrum from nuns to prisoners and professional craftsmen practicing this intriguing art. Monastic production of marqueterie de paille was particularly developed in Central and Eastern France but the market for these pieces was based in Paris where marchands merciers such as Chervain and Delasson sold them to a varied clientele. For a table en chiffonier decorated entirely with straw marquetry and probably retailed by Delasson, see Lison de Caunes and Catherine Baumgartner, La Marqueterie de Paille, Turin, 2004, p. 108. For an ormolu-mounted small bureau with very similar floral straw marquetry to that found on this table, see ibid., p. 109. It is interesting to note that this bureau is stamped N. Petit, which illustrates the practice of well-established furniture makers executing and trading in marqueterie de paille objects.