A French gilt-bronze mounted ebony, brass and tortoiseshell Boulle marquetry meuble d'appui third quarter 19th century

in contre-partie, the eared black Belgian marble top above a cabinet door with allegorical figures of Wisdom and Religion under a curtained baldaquin, with shaped apron

Purchased by Charles Pierrepont, 3rd Earl Manvers for Thoresby Hall circa 1870 during the renovation of the house by Anthony Salvin;
Thence by descent.

A very attractive cabinet in country house condition. The brass mounts are slightly tarnished throughout and may benefit from cleaning according to taste. There are two losses to the brass strung inlay to the bottom of the left hand return, with two further losses to the right return. The central door panel with some lifting to the tortoiseshell inlay and a few minor scattered losses. The brass to the front door has some evidence of minor lifting. The door may therefore benefit form some light workshop attention according to taste. The base of the front with one loss to the brass inlay. The marble top with some scuffs and scratches. With old marks and scratches commensurate with age and 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Related literature:

P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture II, London, 1996, pp. 695-696

Seated under a canopy, the gilt-bronze figures on the door of the present cabinet represent Socrates and Aspasia in the guise of Wisdom and Religion, a group derived from works by André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), likely to have been inspired by the celebrated ceiling painting of "Aspasia, Queen of Egypt among the Philosophers of Greece" by Michel Corneille the Younger (1642-1708) in the salon des Nobles de la Reine at Versailles. An almost identical model, stamped by the great 19th century ébéniste Matthieu Befort, dit Befort Jeune (1816-1880) was offered Christie's London, 18 September 2014, lot 76.

A drawing by Boulle for an armoire now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, displays similar figures; the same are also found on two armoires now in the Louvre, formerly in the collections of the Dukes of Hamilton at Hamilton Palace, as well as on eight medal cabinets once at Saint-Cloud, and illustrated in Hughes, op. cit., pp. 695-696.