Bonheur du jour Empire stamped by Antoine-Nicolas Lesage
Restoration of an Empire bonheur du jour in mahogany veneer, stamped Antoine-Nicolas Lesage: top reattached, veneer missing, gilt bronzes cleaned and shellac finish redone.
19th century
Louis XV style bookcase
We have completed the restoration of this Louis XV style bookcase, from the Napoleon III period, stamped Léon Dromard. Its oak frame is veneered with violet wood. Moreover, its style is very reminiscent of the furniture of Pierre IV Migeon in the 18th century. But do you know what a bookcase is? It's a small, open storage unit, which appeared in the 18th century, designed to hold books and decorative objects. Appreciated for its lightness and elegance, it quickly became a staple in refined interiors. Then, in the 19th century, the taste for […]
Transition secretary desk in the style of Montigny
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. It is directly inspired by the famous secretary attributed to the cabinetmaker Philippe-Claude Montigny, now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The similarity to the museum model is striking: it is evident in the architectural design of the piece, in the treatment of the stepped legs, and in the use of bronze ornamentation inspired by the Greek style. […]
Boulle Napoleon III liquor cabinet
Restoration of a Napoleon III liquor cabinet in tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. The liquor cabinet, an elegant and ingenious piece of furniture, appeared at the end of the 18th century. Initially designed for long carriage journeys, it allowed for the easy transport and serving of liqueurs. Its true rise in popularity, however, occurred in the 19th century. It then became a symbol of refinement and the French art of living. This piece of furniture takes the form of a box, called a "caisson," whose walls […]
Louis XIV low bookcase
Restoration of a low Louis XIV style bookcase, crafted in Boulle marquetry of brown tortoiseshell and brass, ebony, and chiseled and gilded bronze ornamentation. Its centrally projecting front opens with three glazed doors featuring scroll and foliage motifs. It rests on tapered legs. This type of three-part low cabinet was one of Boulle's greatest successes, and he himself produced several variations. The Louvre Museum, for example, possesses no fewer than six examples. Indeed, these […]
Empire Table
The restoration of this Empire dining table is now complete. The work focused primarily on the finishing touches. We removed the previously applied polyurethane varnish and applied a French polish to the solid mahogany top and its four-legged base decorated with swan neck motifs and lion's paw feet. The apron features an oak frieze. Length x Width = 162 x 140 cm. Length x Width with extensions = 252 cm.
Empire Desk
Restoration of an Empire period desk, veneered in mahogany burl on an oak frame. Its four "chimera thigh" legs are connected by stretchers. They terminate in lion's paw feet. The Empire style emerged at the beginning of the 19th century, under Napoleon I. Indeed, the Emperor desired a new, grandiose aesthetic, befitting his power. Heir to Neoclassicism, this style drew inspiration from Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquity. The excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum inspired it, as did the Egyptian campaign. This […]
Nesting tables by Émile Gallé
Restoration of a set of four Art Nouveau nesting tables, made by the Gallé workshops. Each tabletop bears their marquetry signature. The beechwood base is adorned with a naturalistic decoration of tree branches. The tabletops feature marquetry of daffodils, seascapes, and lapping catkins. This marquetry combines ash, walnut, sycamore maple, rosewood, mahogany, walnut burl, and elm. Émile Gallé (1846-1904) Émile Gallé is an emblematic figure of Art Nouveau. He is indeed […]
Empire Inkwell
Restoration of a rectangular inkwell from the late Empire period. It is surmounted by a central dish with a lid pierced by palmettes and handles in the form of flowering tassels. Two winged putti, with quivers on their backs and volute tails, support this dish. On either side, two inkwells with trellis motifs have pierced lids topped with acorn finials. The body contains a niche for the quill. In the center of the frieze, a mask of Apollo from which stylized foliate scrolls emerge. The whole rests on a molded plinth and feet in […]
L. Cueunières Writing Desk
A small restoration for this very pretty Louis XVI style inkwell, stamped L.CUEUNIERES jne. Louis Cueunières the Younger established himself in 1870 at 10 rue Villehardouin, in Paris. He specialized in the restoration of antique furniture and the reproduction of period pieces. This inkwell was in fairly good condition. Apart from a few missing pieces of ebony, it was only dirty. A few ebony grafts, a good cleaning, and a touch-up of the varnish with a French polish were enough to restore its former luster. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/ You can find this piece of furniture […]
Louis XV style flat desk
A second life for this Louis XV style desk, veneered in Rio rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) and African mahogany (Khaya). Besides the construction and tool marks, the presence of this African mahogany greatly facilitates its dating. This type of mahogany began arriving from the west coast of Africa at the end of the 19th century. It became ubiquitous in furniture production at the beginning of the 20th century. I first re-glued the structure and the joints, then the veneer "bells." I filled in the missing sections with sliced veneer, […]
Prie-Dieu
A first experience and a beautiful piece of work by Rachèle, who restored this late 19th-century walnut prie-dieu. The project was quite daunting. The piece had been neglected for years, and wood-boring insects had had a field day. We first treated it with anoxic agents for 21 days. As nothing was holding together anymore, we disassembled each element, without much difficulty, and then glued it back together with fish glue. We replaced the back legs with new walnut, a top plate […]
Napoleon III side table
This Napoleon III period sideboard, quadrangular in shape, is veneered in ebonized pearwood. It is further enlivened by rich Boulle marquetry in brass and red tortoiseshell, forming a decoration of arabesques, foliate scrolls, rocaille motifs, and small flowers. In addition, beautiful gilt-bronze mounts add rhythm to the piece: atlantes with clasped hands on the uprights, acanthus leaves, and an apron. A gadrooned molding also highlights the top, which is slabbed with a black marble top with a rounded edge. Finally, the piece opens with a door, […]
Napoleon III Boulle marquetry side table
A console table veneered in ebonized pearwood, with Boulle marquetry of brass on tortoiseshell depicting arabesques. It opens with a door adorned with an oval medallion. This reveals shelves in mahogany and mahogany veneer. Finally, it is richly ornamented with chased and gilded bronze: egg-and-dart friezes, caryatids in corner drops, interlaced friezes, acanthus leaf friezes, fruit, and florets. This Boulle cabinet required extensive restoration! Indeed, some pieces of brass, fillets, and especially a great deal of tortoiseshell were missing.
Restaurant Secretary
Restoration of a drop-front secretary desk from the Restoration period (1815–1830), 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, Louis XVI's two brothers regained power. The Count of Provence initially reigned as Louis XVIII (1815–1824). […]
Empire Dressing Table
A beautiful restoration and, above all, conservation effort has been undertaken on this lovely Empire-period dressing table. Its frame is made of oak and poplar, veneered with mahogany burl. The drawer sides and bottoms are solid mahogany. It rests on four column legs ending in casters and joined by an H-shaped stretcher. The frieze opens with a central drawer, revealing a writing surface lined with blue morocco leather, a pen case, and two compartments for inkwells. Two large drawers on either side hold toiletries. […]
Table à la Tronchin
A little refresh for this lovely Tronchin-style table. Apart from a missing molding and a few small areas of missing veneer on the legs, nothing serious. A fresh coat of varnish was all it took to give it a new lease on life. But do you know where this type of table comes from, and what it was used for? This table owes its name to Théodore Tronchin (1709-1781), a Genevan physician. At the time, he published works on bone diseases caused by poor posture at the desk. He praised […]
Mahogany games table, late 18th – early 19th century
96 x D 47.5 x H 74 cm. Open: 96 x 95.5 cm. Restoration of a folding games table, veneered in burr mahogany commonly known as Cuban mahogany. According to the recent book "L'essence du bois" (The Essence of Wood) by Patrick George, Emmanuel Maurin, and Marie-Christine Trouy-Jacquemet, it would be more accurate to call it Saint-Domingue mahogany. The base is veneered in solid oak, and the top in poplar. The moldings are solid mahogany. The table rests on tapered legs ending in bronze casters. Under the […]
Empire secretary with quiver
Do 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. The restoration is identical to that of the chest of drawers. The goal: to preserve as much as possible and restore the piece to its function without altering its history. So I re-glued the structure and the few detached veneers, then added some mahogany burl grafts. Finally, the hinges of the drop-front had to be reinforced […]
Empire Chest of Drawers with Quivers
This week, here are some photos of the restoration of this Empire-style chest of drawers veneered in mahogany burl. Its originality lies primarily in the quality of its bronze mounts. Indeed, together with the side columns, they form quivers. Furthermore, the keyhole escutcheons feature two crossed laurel branches tied with a ribbon. Originally, the bronze mounts were mercury-gilded, as evidenced by the gilding stains on the back. Unfortunately, only a few traces remain on the visible surface. Moreover, it is all the more unique because I must […]
Small Boulle marquetry cartel clock
Restoration of a Napoleon III period marquetry clock in brown tortoiseshell on a black ground and brass. Despite dust, oxidation, and years spent in the depths of an attic, this small clock is in very good condition. Except for a missing piece of brass on the right side of the capital, it is complete. The gilding is still clearly visible beneath the layer of grime, and the structure is in perfect condition. The restoration was therefore straightforward: re-gluing all the marquetry under vacuum, then a light cleaning, and a varnishing with […]
Napoleon III wall shelf
Restoration of a Napoleon III period wall shelf veneered in blackened pearwood, rosewood, amaranth, amboyna burl, and marquetry with a music theme. Underneath the dust, aside from small losses in the blackened pearwood and rosewood, and slight dehydration, there was nothing too serious. A few veneer grafts, a vacuum-sealed glue application, a thorough cleaning, a coat of clear French polish, and voilà! All this without using sandpaper. Except for lightly sanding the varnish […]
Napoleon III liquor cabinet
It would seem that the first liquor cellars appeared at the very end of the 18th century. But it was in the 19th century that the fashion for liquor cellars truly took off. The revolution transformed social classes and ways of socializing, leading to increased consumption of liquor, which contributed to the rise of this new social object. The emergence of liquor cellars is, of course, directly linked to the evolution of alcohol consumption in France, such as sweet Mediterranean wines, brandies, cognac, liqueurs, and more.
Louis XVI style desk stamped KRIEGER
This desk is exquisitely crafted, with its oak frame veneered in mahogany and its solid mahogany legs. It is, in fact, a perfect example of high-quality 19th-century furniture. Indeed, the cabinetmaking is flawlessly executed, and the bronze mounts are in perfect condition. In short, everything is there; nothing is missing. The Krieger firm began its cabinetmaking business in the mid-19th century with Antoine Krieger (1804-1869). It then added a significant decorative department, which ensured its prestige until around 1945. Thus, it produced all […]
Napoleon III Boulle marquetry side table
Restoring this piece of furniture is a classic case: a warped door with almost no brass inlay left. Fortunately, the marquetry on the door was fairly well preserved. Only a small piece of brass and a few pieces of dyed horn were missing. Nothing too serious. I first removed the bronze mounts. Then I recreated and glued all the missing inlays, reattaching any remaining pieces in the process. Next, I tackled the door. I removed the amaranth veneer from the back panel, straightened the door, and then reinstalled […]
Louis XVI style sewing box
This sewing box dates from the Napoleon III period. Its frame is made of conifer. It is veneered with Rio rosewood, mahogany for the interior, and bound with boxwood and green-stained maple. A great quality of this box is that its lid has not warped. This is often the major problem with this type of object. People forget to lock them, and the wood warps. It then becomes very difficult to find the "trick" to make the box close properly without extensive restoration. Restoration work […]
Empire Bed
The "boat" bed, with its characteristic curve, is a French invention that appeared during the Directory period. It then became very fashionable during the Empire and the Restoration. Here, the Empire style is recognizable by its lion's paw feet. Two mahogany pieces. However, the varnish on this bed had worn away, so that the two pieces of mahogany that make it up were no longer distinguishable. The restoration. The biggest task was therefore to revarnish the bed: a major undertaking, given the surface area to cover. But it was necessary […]
Commode returning from Egypt
During the turbulent period of the French Revolution, furniture production declined sharply, and most artisans faced very difficult times. Overall, from the Directory to the Consulate, furniture and seating had little time to evolve. Some Egyptian-inspired motifs had already appeared, but it was with the Egyptian expedition (1798-1801) that they formed a distinct style. However, the "Return from Egypt" style lasted only about ten years at most: it was quickly replaced by the Empire style, imposed by Napoleon. This commode features all of these elements…
Napoleon III Desk
A classic restoration for this type of furniture. The legs are slightly damaged, and the varnish has yellowed and dulled. A few rosewood grafts, cleaning, stripping, and a beautiful French polish will be enough to give it a new lease on life. Not forgetting the cleaning of the bronze mounts.
