Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
A Louis XVI marquetry table en chiffonnière, circa 1780-85, attributed to Martin Carlin and probably supplied by Dominique Daguerre
Auction Closed
October 13, 06:27 PM GMT
Estimate
100,000 - 200,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
A Louis XVI marquetry table en chiffonnière, circa 1780-85, attributed to Martin Carlin and probably supplied by Dominique Daguerre
gilt-bronze mounted, green-stained sycamore; of circular form, the top with a pierced gallery and egg-and-dart border centred by a foliate medallion within a scrolling foliate arabesque border, the frieze with a waved ribbon motif enclosing bellflowers within foliate gilt-bronze panels, interposed by a gilt-bronze patera within a roundel, with a frieze drawer, on squared supports applied with ribbon-tied fruiting trails, on cabriole legs, mounted with acanthus leaves, joined by a galleried shelf inlaid with foliate arabesques, on lion-paw sabots and wooden castors
height 29.3 in.; diameter 16, 4 in.; 74,5 cm; 41 cm.
(1)
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Table en chiffonnière en marqueterie, sycomore teinté vert et montures de bronze doré d'époque Louis XVI par Martin Carlin, probablement fournie par Dominique Daguerre, vers 1780-85 (non estampillée)
height 29.3 in.; diameter 16, 4 in.; 74,5 cm; 41 cm.
(1)
Christie's New York, The Alexander Collection: Important French Furniture, Gold Boxes and Porcelain, 30 April 1999, lot 150;
Sotheby's London, The Dimitri Mavrommatis Collection, 8 July 2008, lot 42.
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Christie's New York, La Collection Alexander : Importants meubles français, boîtes en or et porcelaine, 30 avril 1999, lot 150;
Sotheby's Londres, La Collection Dimitri Mavrommatis, 8 juillet 2008, lot 42.
C. Fregnac and J. Wilhelm, Belles Demeures de Paris, 16th-19th siècle, Hachette, 1997, p. 74.
A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Revolution, Paris, 1989, p.359, figs 427 and 429.
Robert R. Wark, French Decorative Art in the Huntington Collection, San Marino, California, 1962, no's, 64, 65, 66.
F.J.B.Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, Volume I, New York, 1966, pp. 282-283 and 284.
This almost jewel-like table of dainty proportions with finely cast and chased gilt-bronze mounts is part of a group of similar tables with variations, many of which are stamped by Carlin which he made for the marchands-merciers, Poirier and Daguerre, some of which have porcelain tops or are mounted with porcelain plaques.
The design of the marquetry used rather unusually abstract arabesques or geometric motifs rather than flowers, as seen on the present table.
Following Carlin's death in 1785, in the inventory drawn up with both Leleu and Nicolas Petit there are recorded: `Trois tables rondes et une ovale à entrejambes et tablettes entre les pieds plaquées en marqueterie, garnies de leurs bronzes sans être dorées, estimées les quatres ensemble à quatre cents livres'.
The name of the ciseleur-doreur S. Prevost is also mentioned, `pour ouvrages de sa profession par lui faites pour le dit sieur Carlin 6791', and it is a possibility, therefore, that the latter may have been responsible for the gilt-bronze mounts on this table.
It is worthwhile comparing the following related table-chiffonnières by Carlin in major collections:
A virtually identical table with identical marquetry on the frieze, the shelf inlaid with arabesques and identical frieze mounts on the supports, legs and feet, with an added feature of a Sèvres plaque, was recorded in the collection of Baron Guy de Rothschild at the Hôtel Lambert Paris.
A table of almost identical form stamped by Carlin with the mark of the Palace of Pavlovsk almost certainly purchased by the Grand Duchess Maria Fydorovna during or after her stay in Paris in 1782, but veneered with dot-trellis parquetry and with a Sèvres porcelain top, is illustrated by Pradère op. cit., p. 359, fig. 429.
A table in the Louvre of similar form stamped Carlin with a porcelain top and mounted with porcelain plaques on the frieze , illustrated by Alcouffe op. cit, p. 228, no. 69, and another also stamped by the same maker, with a marquetry top and mounted with porcelain plaques on the frieze, illustrated op. cit., p. 229, no.70.
A table stamped Carlin, with a porcelain top and inset plaque on the stretcher, in the Wrighstman collection, illustrated by Watson, op. cit., p. 283.
Also see Watson op. cit, p. 284, for a watercolour design for a related table attributed to R. Lalonde (active before 1788-after 1806), probably for the purposes of advertising for the marchand-mercier Daguerre circa 1770-1785 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Raphael Esmerian, 59.611.8). The design would appear to be for the table in the Wrightsman collection, no. 143, p. 285, which is stamped Carlin. This watercolour illustrates the inspiration for these tables by Carlin which are generally in the same form with paterae on the frieze, squared supports, cabriole legs joined by an undertier and paw feet.
It is also worthwhile considering two guéridon tables together with a secrétaire and commode by Carlin, with the marquetry arabesques conceived in a similar fashion to those upon this table:
- A guéridon attributed to Carlin with a porcelain-mounted top with an undertier veneered with arabesques conceived in a similar fashion to those on this table, formerly in the collection of Alphonse de Rothschild, sold as lot 18, Sotheby's, Monaco, 21st May 1978.
- A porcelain-mounted guéridon, with a Sèvres plaque and arabesque inlay on the undertier stamped by both Carlin and Pafrat but probably finished by the latter on Carlin's death, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, illustrated by Pradère op. cit., p. 359, fig. 427.
- a secrétaire and matching commode in the Huntington Collection, illustrated by R. Wark, op. cit., figs. 64-6, p.84-5.