secrétaire Archives • Ébénisterie Mathieu Vath

Louis XVI secretary stamped Schlichtig

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, Louis XVI style, French polish, 18th century

This Louis XVI style secretary desk, stamped JG Schlichtig, is made of rosewood veneer, satinwood (on the sides) and amaranth, on an oak and softwood frame. It opens with two lower doors, a central drop-front, and a top drawer. The interior of the piece includes six drawers and three niches. Given its small size, 1.20 meters, it can be described as a lady's secretary desk. Jean-Georges Schlichtig († February 1782) was a Parisian cabinetmaker of German origin, admitted as a master on October 2, 1765. He established himself successively […]

Transition secretary desk in the style of Montigny

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, furniture restoration, secretary, Transitional style, 19th century

Restoration of a 19th-century Transition-style drop-front secretary, veneered in rosewood and amaranth on an oak frame. This secretary is a learned interpretation of Parisian models from 1765-1775 and is directly inspired by the famous secretary attributed to the cabinetmaker Philippe-Claude Montigny, now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The stylistic similarities with the museum model are immediately apparent in the architectural design of the piece, the treatment of the stepped legs, and the use of bronze ornamentation inspired by the Greek style. The piece adopts […]

Louis XV secretary desk, stamped MIGEON

December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 Mathieu Vathviolet wood, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, 18th century

Restoration of a secretary desk, commonly called a "drop-front secretary" or "cabinet secretary," bearing the MIGEON stamp. This piece is distinguished by its serpentine front, opening with a pivoting drop-front that reveals nine small, curved drawers. The inside of the drop-front is lined with leather. The "cabinet" itself opens with two doors. The entire front is veneered with four panels of kingwood veneer, obliquely cut into butterfly wings. Each compartment is decorated with a quatrefoil motif of butterfly wings, set within a […]

Louis XVI secretary stamped Ohneberg

May 9, 2025March 8, 2026 Mathieu VathVeneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, satin, secretary, Louis XVI style, 18th century

This Louis XVI period secretary, stamped by Martin Ohneberg, a masterpiece of sobriety and refinement, features a solid wood frame veneered in rosewood and a sumptuous ribboned satinwood veneer, whose sinuous, golden veins lend brilliance and depth. The ornamentation is understated yet exquisite: delicately floral, chased bronze mounts accentuate the clean lines of the piece, typical of the Neoclassical style. Martin Ohneberg, of German origin, was active in Paris during the last decades of the 18th century, notably during the reign of […]

Transition Secretary

February 21, 2025February 21, 2025 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Vacuum bonding, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, 18th century

Restoration of a transitional rosewood and amaranth secretary desk with simulated fluting using boxwood and ebony. The frame is made of oak and softwood. As is often the case with secretaries, one of the main areas of damage is the hinges of the fall-front, which have cracked and damaged the frame and veneer. The work involved replacing the solid wood that provides support and proper alignment before replacing the missing amaranth veneer. The […]

Louis XV secretary stamped C.Chevallier

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024 Mathieu Vathrosewood, violet wood, KNIGHT, Vacuum bonding, conservation, stamp, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary

Restoration of a Louis XV period drop-front secretary, also known as a cabinet, stamped by Charles Chevalier, with curved sides and a front without an intermediate rail. Constructed of oak and softwood, it is veneered with marquetry of maple, boxwood, blue-stained maple, holly, hornbeam, and barberry on a rosewood ground framed by violet wood. The drop-front opens with its original three-point lock, revealing a compartment containing seven shelves in four rows and four drawers. The whole contains […]

Louis XVI secretary stamped TOPINO

November 16, 2023September 4, 2024 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, Vacuum bonding, stamp, Louis XVI, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, furniture restoration, secretary, 18th century

Restoration of a Louis XVI secretary desk stamped by Charles Topino. Typical of Topino's style, this secretary is constructed of oak and softwood. The front opens with a drawer and a drop-front covered in red leather tooled in gilt, revealing two compartments and four drawers veneered in rosewood. The lower section opens with two doors revealing a shelf. These are decorated with marquetry depicting a vase and drapery on a tobacco-colored ground, while the drop-front is inlaid with musical instruments, ribbons, and foliage on […]

Secretary LXVI stamped Martin Carlin

March 22, 2022March 22, 2022 Mathieu Vathmahogany, amaranth, Bronzes, stamp, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, French polish, 18th century

Restoration of a Louis XVI period lady's writing desk stamped by Martin Carlin JME. The frame is solid oak, with the fall front and lower door made of softwood. The exterior is entirely veneered with Honduran mahogany, except for the upper edge, which is embellished with a thin strip of amaranth. The interiors are veneered with rosewood, amaranth, and stringing of boxwood and ebony. Of particular interest: the upper interior compartment has never been restored and retains its original finish, a magnificent polish that has preserved the […]

Transition cylinder desk

May 22, 2021July 22, 2021 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, cylinder desk, Vacuum bonding, conservation, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, satin, secretary, Transition, 18th century

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to restore this magnificent Transition period (1780) roll-top desk. It is framed in oak and fir. The fall front is primarily veneered with rosewood laid in a paillon pattern, framed by a light stringing of boxwood and green-stained hornbeam, bordered by a thin band of amaranth. The back is veneered in satinwood. The central marquetry, on a tobacco-stained sycamore ground, depicts musical instruments and two doves taking flight, each carrying a musical score in its beak. This […]

Restaurant Secretary

May 1, 2021May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, secretary, French polish, 19th century

Restoration of a Restoration period (1815–1830) drop-front secretary veneered in burr mahogany and topped with Carrara white marble. The front legs are rounded and the rear legs are square. The frame is made of oak and softwood. An inventory mark (I91) is found inside the lower drawer on the right side. The Restoration style? After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo on June 18, 1815, power in France was taken over by the two brothers of Louis XVI: the Count of Provence, who would reign under the […]

Secretary of the Board of Directors

December 12, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Solid Wood, Bronzes, Directorate, restoration, furniture restoration, return from Egypt, secretary

Here is a secretary desk in the most understated style of the Directoire period. Its frame is made of solid beech and conifer, and it is veneered with mahogany and mottled mahogany. It is very simply adorned with bronze handles in the form of a lion's head holding a ring in its mouth. The keyhole escutcheons are in the shape of a shield. The interior comprises seven drawers, the middle one of which opens with a key. The drop-front opens with a period three-point lock. The lower section consists of three drawers, or has been transferred […]

Louis XVI/Directory Secretary

November 9, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, conservation, Leather, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, Louis XVI style, French polish, 18th century

Restoration of a drop-front secretary desk built in oak and veneered with mottled mahogany and mahogany from Saint-Domingue. Its design dates from the late 18th century. Its white Carrara marble top is surrounded by a partially openwork brass gallery. It opens with a drawer at the top, a drop-front in the middle, and three drawers at the bottom; all the original locks are secured with a clover-shaped key. All the panels on the front and sides are framed with brass quarter-round moldings. The drop-front is veneered in mahogany […]

Empire secretary with quiver

October 30, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Directorate, Empire, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, French polish, 19th century

You remember the Empire chest of drawers with the quivers. Well, here is the secretary desk with the quivers. It is built in exactly the same way as the chest: same construction, same solid woods used, and same mahogany veneers. As for the restoration, it is identical to that of the chest of drawers. The aim is to preserve as much as possible and restore the piece of furniture to its original function without altering its history. The work therefore consisted of reattaching the structure and the few detached veneer elements. And to […]

Secretary stamped P.ROUSSEL JME

February 8, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Vacuum bonding, stamp, Louis XV, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, secretary, French polish

Here are some images of the restoration of a secretary desk stamped by Pierre Roussel (1723-1782). Having become a Master Cabinetmaker in 1745, Pierre Roussel set up shop on Rue de Charonne, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, under the sign "L'Image de Saint Pierre" (The Image of Saint Peter). Thanks to his skills as a cabinetmaker and especially as an exceptional marquetry artist, he quickly gained a great reputation. In 1762, he became a sworn member of his guild. By 1767, he was considered one of the best cabinetmakers of his time. Highly regarded by his colleagues, he became a representative of the cabinetmakers' guild in 1777 and then syndic two […]

Secretary Napoleon III

December 21, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathBronzes, Vacuum bonding, Brass, Boulle marquetry, Napoleon III, restoration, furniture restoration, secretary

On the restoration side, there wasn't much to do: the brass fittings were reattached with fish glue and by infiltration, then stripped and varnished. The most difficult part of this type of furniture is the black stain. Over time, pear wood darkens, loses its color, and turns gray. It then needs to be stained, without, of course, obscuring the brass. To do this, I fill and polish the piece until the brass becomes a true mirror. Then, I apply a hot logwood stain, and then […]

Secretary stamped Martin Ohneberg

October 23, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathLeather, stamp, graft, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, secretary, Louis XVI style, French polish

This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI period secretary. Martin Ohneberg (Master in 1773), the cabinetmaker who crafted this piece, was an excellent marquetry artist and used very high-quality rosewood. He produced numerous pieces of furniture with very simple lines but exquisite marquetry, including an endless variety of drop-front secretaries. This particular one is veneered with rosewood and amaranth, and features a mosaic marquetry of maple blossoms on a red satinwood ground. The framing bands […]