Napoleon III Boulle marquetry side table

A console table veneered in ebonized pearwood and inlaid with Boulle marquetry of brass on tortoiseshell in arabesque designs. It opens with a door adorned with an oval medallion, revealing shelves in mahogany and mahogany veneer. Richly ornamented with chased and gilded bronze mounts: egg-and-dart friezes, caryatids at the corners, interlaced friezes, acanthus leaf friezes, fruit, and florets.

Extensive restoration work was required for this Boulle piece of furniture. Several pieces of brass, stringing, and, most significantly, a great deal of tortoiseshell were missing. Given the object's value and the need to respect this precious raw material, it was out of the question to replace all the missing pieces with genuine tortoiseshell. The larger pieces were replaced with horn, and the smaller ones with a synthetic resin mixture. All of this was done with careful consideration of the material's re-treatment potential. All surfaces were treated by vacuum infiltration with adhesive. The piece was then French polished, and the bronze mounts were cleaned ultrasonically.

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