A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED TUILPWOOD, KINGWOOD AND FRUITWOOD MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY SÉCRETAIRE À ABATTANT PROBABLY STRASBOURG, CIRCA 1770

This spectacular cabinet is in excellent restored order and is ready to place. During the restoration and re-polish the mounts have been re-gilt. The interior of the fall is good and consistent in terms of condition with the exterior. The leather writing surface is scuffed (as to be expected) from use. One of the small fitted drawers appears to have been fitted with a slide, now lacking but this does not detract. The interior mirror with typical old bruises.
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.

This secrétaire à abattant's overall proportions, being unusually wide, and the mirrored interior show a strong German influence on its design. The abundant use of intricate geometric inlay combined with figural marquetry is another feature common on contemporaneous German Rococo pieces of this type. The construction suggests that the lot offered here is the product of a workshop outside of Paris but the highly sophisticated decoration and interior configuration certainly indicates a large and cosmopolitan city as place of manufacture. These peculiarities, coupled with the strong German design influence, point to Alsace, and more specifically Strasbourg. Strasbourg being a stronghold of French Catholicism and the seat of prince-bishops and archbishops could be an explanation of the Annunciation scene executed in marquetry on the fall front of this secrétaire and other ecclesiastical symbols such as the Crucifix, the Agnus Dei, and the Chalice of the Communion. The complex interior, the unusual side compartment and the relatively shallow depth suggest that this piece was intended for a specific interior. These features coupled with the specifically religious decoration could indicate that the lot offered here was once in the collection of one of the highest ranking members of the Catholic Church in France.