Transition Stumpff Chest of Drawers
Raphaël, notre apprenti, a restauré une commode Transition estampillée Stumpff. Ce travail lui vaut la médaille d’or nationale au concours Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France 2026.
Boulle Dubois Cartel
Restoration of a Louis XV period brown tortoiseshell Boulle Dubois cartel clock, the dial of which bears an engraving with the monogram of Louis XV.
Louis XVI secretary stamped Schlichtig
This Louis XVI style secretary desk bears the stamp of JG Schlichtig. It combines rosewood, satinwood (on the sides), and amaranth veneers on an oak and softwood frame. It opens with two lower doors, a central drop-front, and a top drawer. The interior includes six drawers and three niches. At 1.20 meters long, it is 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 initially established himself […]
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 […]
Louis XVI psyche mirror Weisweiler
Restoration of a Louis XVI/Directoire period cheval glass stamped by Adam Weisweiler. This piece of furniture represents one of the innovations in late 18th-century furniture design. Far more than a simple dressing table accessory, it represents a significant evolution in the design of furniture intended for private use. Its appearance coincided with changing lifestyles, the development of new domestic spaces, and evolving practices related to self-presentation. For both the furniture historian and the restorer, the cheval glass is a particularly interesting object. It bears witness to both […]
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. […]
Wild herb table
Restoration of a solid walnut table with marquetry decoration in the "architectural whims" and "wild grass" styles. It comes from the Austrian Tyrol and dates from the mid-17th century. It rests on four twisted legs adorned with flattened balls. An X-shaped stretcher connects these legs. A wide drawer opens in the front, beneath a rectangular top. The richly inlaid top is framed by a rosewood border. This is followed by bands delimited by wide oak stringing...
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 […]
Majorelle's Love Letter
Congratulations to Leo, our workshop intern! He has completed his first restoration project here. It's a lady's writing desk, also known as a "billet doux" (love letter), stamped by Louis Majorelle. The "billet doux" appeared in France at the end of the 18th century. It became particularly popular under Louis XVI, and then during the Restoration. It's an intimate and refined piece of furniture, designed for correspondence. It was therefore often placed in a boudoir or bedroom. Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, Louis Majorelle helped to revive its popularity. […]
Rochelaise table in rosewood and ebony
Restoration of a Louis XV salon table, made in La Rochelle in the mid-18th century. This piece is distinguished by its parquet top, alternating rosewood and ebony. It opens with a drawer integrated into the front apron, whose shaped moldings and cabriole legs with octagonal sides testify to exceptional craftsmanship. The table is made exclusively of solid rosewood for the base, the parquet top, and the drawer boxes, while solid ebony is used for the […]
Regency chest of drawers with crossbow
Conservation work on this Regency period commode. It is distinguished by its serpentine shape and its rosewood veneer, adorned with gilt bronze mounts, on an oak and softwood frame. Our first task was to stabilize the veneered surfaces by injecting protein-based adhesive. Next, the gaps were filled with grafts of new rosewood, sawn, scraped, and sanded. These grafts, then French polished, were allowed to oxidize naturally under UV light. Finally, we prepared them to the correct thickness on the backing and then glued them in place with hot glue. […]
Regency chest of drawers stamped Merchant
Restoration of a Regency period commode, stamped Nicolas-Jean Marchand. It is veneered in kingwood with a diamond-point pattern, on an oak frame. It opens with four drawers. Furthermore, a set of chased bronze mounts bearing the crowned C adorns the whole. These include thick drop handles and large gadrooned rosettes. In addition, there are cartel-shaped keyhole escutcheons and espagnolette drops, terminating in eagle-claw feet. The crowned C: The royal edict of 1745 imposed a distinctive mark on bronze workers: a "C" […]
Pair of Louis XV commodes
Here is the latest major restoration project undertaken by Raphaël, our apprentice. It involves a pair of Louis XV style commodes bearing an unknown stamp, CCS, which could be attributed to Charles Claude Saunier, an early work by the latter. Please find below the detailed account of the work carried out by Raphaël. Enjoy your reading. Restoration of a Pair of Louis XV Commodes This restoration project concerns two commodes with a slanted top, designed according to the aesthetic and technical principles of the Louis XV style. This style is characterized by its lines […]
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 […]
Doll's Head Clock by Baltazard Martinot
For our first project of the year, we needed to stabilize, consolidate, and restore the clock, while preserving its finish and harmonizing the overall design. Above all, we wanted to preserve the history and identity of the object, without dismantling it in any way. A masterpiece of Parisian clockmaking from the Grand Siècle, this remarkable clock, known as a "doll's head" clock, exemplifies Parisian clockmaking of the late 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV. Its form is architecturally structured: a circular body, flanked by projections, supports a rich crown of gilt bronze. Indeed, this type appeared around 1670-1680 […]
Louis XVI commode stamped JL Cosson
This Louis XVI period half-moon commode is stamped by the cabinetmaker Jacques Laurent Cosson. It belongs to a production probably dating from 1780 to 1790. It is an exceptional example of painted furniture from the end of the Ancien Régime. It belongs to a very small group, of which only seven examples are currently known. Highly sought-after 18th-century French painted furniture represents one of the most inventive areas of Parisian cabinetmaking on the eve of the Revolution. This commode, with its curved, half-moon shape, rests on four tapered legs […]
Louis XV secretary desk, stamped MIGEON
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 […]
Directoire armchairs
Restoration of a pair of Directoire period armchairs (circa 1795-1805), made of solid mahogany, except for the stretchers, which are veneered. These chairs have the clean, balanced lines characteristic of the Directoire style. Indeed, this style marks the transition between the austerity of Louis XVI and the more formal style of the Consulate. The joinery is mortise and tenon. Furthermore, turned supports extend the straight armrests, as was common at the end of the Directoire period. The legs are turned in a baluster shape and taper towards the bottom. A simple molding frames the rectangular backs. […]
Louis XV Cartel
This is the first cartel clock restoration undertaken by Raphael, focusing on this Louis XV cartel clock in Boulle marquetry of brown tortoiseshell and brass. Restoring a cartel clock is a complex task requiring considerable time and meticulous attention to detail. The curved shapes make gluing delicate. Large sections of the brass elements generally need to be reattached. Condition report: This cartel clock presented widespread soiling, an oxidized and tarnished varnish, as well as several lifting and missing pieces in the brass and tortoiseshell marquetry. In addition, there were signs of detachment […]
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.
Wedding wardrobe from Bayeux with swans
Lightening the finish on a Bayeux wedding armoire. It is distinguished by its motifs of swans, figures, and hunting and musical attributes. Made of quarter-sawn oak, also known as "merrain," it comes from the Caen plain and dates from the first half of the 19th century. We lightened the wax finish to remove the multiple layers of tinted wax that darkened the entire piece. This work revealed the magnificent honey-blond hue of the oak and enhanced the exceptional carving of […]
Louis XVI chest of drawers by Jean-Francois Leleu
Restoration of a Louis XVI period commode with a central projection, stamped JF LELEU. Entirely constructed of oak, it is veneered with amaranth, rosewood, boxwood, stained maple burl, and tobacco-grey maple. A frieze of posts adorns the top drawer. On the projection, Greek key patterns and fleurons are set within a mosaic of hexagons, known as "marquetry à la reine." It has three drawers, two of which conceal drawers with crossbars. Furthermore, its front uprights have canted corners and simulated fluting. Finally, its feet are made of […]
Regency-style wardrobe stamped MIGEON
Restoration of a Regency-style cabinet, likely from the 1740s, stamped Pierre IV Migeon. It can also be used as a bookcase. Its frame is made of oak and softwood. It is entirely veneered with kingwood, rosewood on the top, and walnut on the interior. The doors feature butterfly-wing friezes. In contrast, the sides display a square pattern, typical of Migeon. A semi-circular brass molding borders the ogee cornice. Finally, brass fluting, ending in discs, adorns […]
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 […]
Provençal table and kitchenware
Voici une table provençale d’époque Louis XV, ainsi qu’un ensemble de cuivres. Ces derniers datent en partie du XVIIIe siècle et en partie des deux premiers tiers du XIXe siècle. Vernis, ils sont en parfait état. Les étains, quant à eux, datent du XVIIIe siècle. De même, la dinanderie et ses ustensiles en fer sont du XVIIIe siècle. Certains ustensiles sont d’ailleurs plus anciens, ce qui est très rare. Je propose ces objets à la vente. Donc, si vous êtes intéressé(e), n’hésitez pas à me contacter. Table provençale Il s’agit […]
Augsburg Cabinet, 17th century
Restoration of a small table cabinet (height 14.3 cm, width 17.3 cm, depth 13 cm), likely a traveling model. It is made of solid wood, with intarsia decoration on all sides. A drop-front conceals eight drawers; in fact, the bottom drawer simulates two. Its composition is very rich, combining eight different wood species. The frame is made of fir, and cherry for the visible parts. Large central panels of sycamore maple are inlaid. Around these, bands of plum wood frame them, then a fillet of […]
Regency commode with bridge "with dragons"«
Restoration of a Regency period commode, topped with a 30 mm thick Rance marble slab, molded with a corbelled edge. Curved in plan and elevation, both on the front and sides, it is veneered with snakewood and satinwood. It has four drawers (giving the appearance of six), in three rows. Its voluminous feet evoke the clawed paws of a dragon. It is adorned with brass fluting and chased and gilded bronze mounts: chased waterleaf frames framing the drawers, thick drop handles with shell motifs, wide plates with […]
Regency Cartel
The restoration of five Boulle marquetry clocks, begun a few months ago, is now complete. Here is a Regency clock and its console, inlaid with tortoiseshell and brass on an oak frame. Measuring Time: Since time immemorial, humankind has sought to measure time. First came the gnomon, a simple stick planted in the ground, the ancestor of the sundial. Then came the clepsydra, where water flows, and later the hourglass, based on the same principle. Through these methods, people organized their social, religious, and […]
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 […]
Louis XV Cartel
We are continuing our series on cartel clocks, which began a few months ago. Here are some images of the restoration of this Louis XV cartel clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry on an oak frame. Condition report: The structure is in a state of significant deterioration, and re-gluing the joints appears necessary. All the marquetry is detached or shows signs of glue dehydration. Furthermore, the clock has been heavily sanded, which has resulted in the disappearance of all traces of engraving on the brass elements. […]
Art Deco Desk
Restoration complete for this desk veneered in Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica). Native to Indonesia, it is also known as golden ebony or Coromandel wood. Long used in construction in Japan, this tree can reach forty meters in height. Its name comes from the port of Makassar, from where the logs were exported.
English Cabinet
Restoration of an English cabinet from the late 17th or early 18th century, veneered in walnut and maple. It features the distinctive free-flowing arabesque marquetry known as seaweed marquetry because it evokes the seaweed found on the seabed. Seaweed marquetry is traditionally associated with Dutch and Flemish cabinetmakers of the second half of the 17th century, particularly Gerrit Jensen. Indeed, in 1689, William III of Orange ascended the English throne with his cabinetmakers. Later, religious persecutions on the continent brought others to England. […]
Regency tabletop sign
Restoration of a Boulle marquetry wall clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass, adorned with chased and gilded bronze mounts. It features a monumental rooster (royal emblem), a central mascaron with a satyr's head, caryatids, and two doves beneath a draped dome. The movement bears the signature GRIBELIN. Nicolas Gribelin, son of Abraham Gribelin, Valet de Chambre-Clockmaker to the King, was born in Blois on November 27, 1637. At the end of the 17th century, he was among the most renowned clockmakers of his time.
Louis XVI secretary stamped Ohneberg
This Louis XVI period secretary bears the stamp of Martin Ohneberg. A masterpiece of sobriety and refinement, it combines a solid wood frame with rosewood and a sumptuous satinwood veneer. Its sinuous, golden veins lend brilliance and depth. Furthermore, the ornamentation remains understated yet exquisite. Indeed, delicately floral, chased bronze frames 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 […]
Regency Cartel
Restoration of a Regency clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, with a bronze Atlas bearing the dial. The clock exhibited significant structural and decorative alterations, necessitating a complete intervention according to the principles of conservation-restoration. Condition report: This clock, probably dating from the early 18th century, showed the marks of time: lifting marquetry, detachment of the tortoiseshell, oxidation of the brass, and numerous losses. Furthermore, the bronze Atlas, leaning under the weight of the celestial vault, was blackened. Indeed, decades of dust […]
Flat Greek-style desk stamped DUBOIS
One desk, one stamp, three cabinetmakers? This desk is a masterpiece of French cabinetmaking. It alone embodies the culmination of 18th-century Neoclassical taste. Yet, a question immediately arises: why three cabinetmakers for a single desk? In fact, the answer lies in a mixture of succession, talent, collaboration, and opportunism, typical of the craftsmanship of the period. This flat desk, known as a "Greek-style" desk, is a perfect example of the Louis XVI style. It combines marquetry of amaranth, satinwood, and other woods.
Regency Cartel
Minor restoration/conservation work was carried out on this lovely Regency clock signed by the Dumont brothers in Besançon. Some minor repairs and replacements of missing brass and flakes were performed before the shellac finish was applied. The bronze mounts were removed and steam cleaned before being reattached.
8-foot Regency style pedestal desk with Democritus masks
Restoration of a Regency period double-sided flat-fronted desk with a drawer unit, veneered entirely in kingwood. Its sides feature a diamond-point frieze, while the drawer fronts form an inverted slab pattern. Each side opens with four drawers in the frieze, with a central drawer on one side. Furthermore, a molding encircles the top, which is covered in gilt leather tooled in small pieces. The desk rests on eight cabriole legs ending in goat hooves. Most notably, it bears two emblematic bronzes from the oeuvre of André Charles Boulle: […]
Regency chest of drawers
Restoration of a bombé commode, veneered in satinwood with double boxwood stringing within amaranth borders. The frame is fir and the drawer units are walnut. It opens with four drawers in three rows. Its finely chased bronze mounts are silvered, not gilded as is customary. The uprights are veneered with a facsimile of brass fluting. The sides, decorated with a lozenge inscribed within a rectangle, echo the decorative motif of the front veneer. It is topped with a green Campan marble slab […]
Louis XIV double-bodied display case
Restoration of a Louis XIV period two-part display cabinet veneered in cedar, ferreol, and cherry, with moldings of blackened fruitwood. With its flat front and sides, it opens at the bottom with two doors. At the top, however, two grilled doors open beneath a straight cornice. Finally, the whole rests on ball feet. This type of marquetry is also found on furniture from the second half of the 17th century. Condition report: This piece of furniture presented numerous alterations. First, on the frame side, the nailed back panels ensured squareness and the […]
Transition Secretary
Restoration of a Transition-style secretary veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with simulated fluting in 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 at the hinges of the fall-front, which have cracked and damaged the frame and veneer. We first restored the solid wood that provides support and ensures the proper fit of the fall-front. We then filled in the missing amaranth veneer. We reinforced the backing, beneath the leather, […]
Regency corner
Restoration of a Regency period corner cabinet veneered in Rio rosewood on a softwood frame. The piece had little damage apart from missing fluting and mahogany grafts on the top and bottom rails. The work therefore consisted of replacing the mahogany grafts with rosewood veneer that was sawn, scraped, and sanded before being glued with hot glue. The brass fluting was recreated and adjusted to fit perfectly into its original positions. A French polish finish was applied […]
Lyon-style chest of drawers
A little facelift for this imposing chest of drawers from the Lyon region. A few walnut grafts, a bit of carving, a good restoration of the waxed finish, and above all, a good dose of elbow grease have allowed this piece of furniture to regain all its luster.
Small Antwerp cabinet in ebony and tortoiseshell
Restoration of a cabinet opening with nine drawers with turned ivory knobs, arranged in five rows: six small drawers in the upper rows, one small central drawer, and two wide drawers in the lower section, each simulating two drawers. The cabinet is set into a base which itself opens with a wide drawer in the frieze. This base rests on four faceted legs, connected by a flat, frame-like stretcher and punctuated with ball feet. This octagonal foot, characteristic of Antwerp furniture, allows us to date this cabinet to around 1660, at the […]
Louis XIV clock
Restoration of a rare late 17th-century clock case in four-color marquetry, also known as "wood painting" or "jasmine painting." It is composed of maple, pear, boxwood, and green-stained maple on an ebony ground. Note that the base was likely added later. Several graphic styles are incorporated into this piece, including scrolling foliage and acanthus leaves, bouquets of flowers, and a bird on the pediment. The frame and moldings are made of walnut and are stained black. A […]
Louis XV cartel clock stamped by Duhamel and Lamy, clockmakers to Monseigneur the Dauphin
Restoration of an 18th-century Louis XV period cartel clock, finished in Martin varnish with a red lacquer background and polychrome oil-painted decoration. François Duhamel crafted the case. The movement bears the signature of Michel Lamy, clockmaker to the Dauphin. François Duhamel, a Parisian cabinetmaker, was born in 1723 and received his master's certificate on February 3, 1750. He lived until February 2, 1801. He resided on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine and specialized in clock cases. Thus, in 1775, after the death of his colleague Antoine Foullet, who specialized in […]
Louis XV commode by JB Fromageau
Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped Jean-Baptiste Fromageau. Its frame is made of oak and softwood. It is inlaid with rosewood within violet wood borders. Curved at the front and flared at the sides, it opens with four drawers in three rows. Finally, a gray Sainte-Anne marble top crowns it. Jean-Baptiste Fromageau, son of a master cabinetmaker, was born around 1725. Admitted as a master on November 5, 1755, he first established himself on Rue Traversière, then on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine. Moreover, the Dauphin almanac lists his workshop among the most important in Paris. Cabinetmaker, […]
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 […]
Regency style pedestal desk
Restoration of a desk veneered on all sides with yew burl and amaranth, decorated with geometric boxwood stringing. It opens with five drawers in the front and five simulated drawers in the back. Furthermore, the two lower drawers follow the contour of the edge and slide at a 45-degree angle. In addition, a bronze molding encircles the amaranth-veneered top. The desk rests on four cabriole legs, terminating in curious acanthus leaf bronzes. Finally, the frame is entirely oak, except for the drawers, which are walnut, with […]
Regency-style chest of drawers stamped by Michel Mallerot
Restoration of a commode from the first half of the 18th century, curved in height and bombé in plan. It opens with four drawers in three rows. Known as a tomb-shaped or Regency commode, it belongs to a much smaller group: that of commodes with a bridge and mustache-shaped finials. Its frame is typical of the Regency period. The uprights are made of oak, and the rest is primarily a high-quality softwood. The drawers, fitted with mortise and tenon joints, are made of walnut. The veneer uses only two types of wood, […]
Louis XVI Weekly Planner
Restoration of a Louis XVI chest of drawers veneered in rosewood, satinwood, and amaranth. It opens with a series of seven drawers framed by rounded uprights with simulated fluting made of boxwood and blackened pearwood. A chest of drawers? The chest of drawers appeared in the mid-18th century. It was primarily intended for women. It is a chiffonier (which appeared during the Regency period, between 1715 and 1723) with seven drawers, one for each day of the week, for storing the day's undergarments. The restoration: This piece of furniture showed little […]
Louis XVI commode stamped J. LAPIE
Lise restored this Louis XVI commode, stamped by Jean Lapie, during her internship at the workshop. The piece is constructed of oak, fir, and beech, veneered with rosewood with hornbeam and amaranth stringing, and adorned with gilt bronze mounts. And since Lise submitted an excellent internship report, I'm publishing it almost in its entirety. Jean Lapie (known as "The Younger"), son of the potter Nicolas Lapie, was born around 1734. Brother of the cabinetmaker Nicolas-Alexandre Lapie (known as "The Elder") and cousin of Jean-François Lapie, […]
Louis XVI wardrobe
Restoration by Raphaël of a rosewood veneered cabinet with diamond-pointed doors, framed in amaranth and Greek key stringing. It opens with two large softwood doors veneered with oak. Some regluing and repairs of missing veneer, along with a good coat of clear French polish, have restored this piece of furniture to its former glory.
Regency commode in sarcophagus form
Minor restoration was required for this Regency commode, known as a "sarcophagus commode." Indeed, a few veneer repairs and a refinishing of the varnish were enough to restore its former glory. The sarcophagus commode? The first commodes were designed by André-Charles Boulle. Then, a few years later, during the Regency period, commodes with curved sides and tops appeared. Throughout the 18th century, they were known as "Regency-style" commodes. Similarly, it wasn't until 1720 that commodes with two rows of drawers reappeared.
Regency tabletop sign
Restoration of a Regency mantel clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry on an oak frame. Without its bronze mounts, this type of furniture loses its splendor. When it is restored to its original fittings, its symbols take on their full meaning, as its function is to tell the time. The Fame on the escapement and the eagle on the door are perfect examples. Originally, Fame was a Greek goddess who personified public reputation. The Greeks called her Pheme (Φήμη), the Romans Fama. Daughter of Gaia, this […]
Art Nouveau desk with Primroses by Louis Majorelle
Restoration of an Art Nouveau desk stamped by Louis Majorelle, made in Nancy around 1905. Crafted from solid walnut, it is decorated with primrose marquetry. The work involved replacing some missing veneer, cleaning the piece, and restoring its waxed finish. Louis Majorelle was born in September 1859 in Toul and died in January 1926 in Nancy, at the age of 66. Son of the renowned furniture maker Auguste Majorelle, he developed an early interest in craftsmanship and drawing. He then entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, […]
Louis XVI console table stamped Louis Noël Malle
Restoration of a Louis XVI console table stamped by Louis-Noël Malle, with solid mahogany legs and mottled mahogany veneer on an oak frame. Louis-Noël Malle, born in 1734, became a master craftsman on November 18, 1765. With his wife, Marie-France Le Maître, he established his shop and workshop on the Grande-Rue-du-Faubourg-Saint-Antoine. He is recognized as one of the greatest marquetry craftsmen of his time. The 1771 and 1772 editions of the Almanach Général des Marchands mention him, misspelling his name as "Le Mille." His "works related to […]" are particularly praised.
Regency style commode stamped Hédouin
Here is the latest restoration by Raphaël, my apprentice. This commode has all the attributes of a Regency commode. Yet, Hédouin could only have made it well after this period (around 1715-1723). Indeed, he obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1738, right in the middle of the Louis XV era. It is therefore more accurately described as a commode "in the Regency style," as cabinetmakers of the time called it. Moreover, its frame is entirely oak, except for the back panels, and its veneer combines amaranth and satinwood. Jean-Baptiste HEDOUIN The life of Jean-Baptiste Hédouin remains […]
Happiness of the day by Guillaume Cordié
Minor maintenance restoration for this Transition-style bonheur-du-jour, veneered in rosewood. It also bears the stamp of Guillaume Cordié, the master of this type of desk. The work remained simple. First, we reattached a few veneer patches. Then, we addressed the oxidation and performed color restoration. Finally, we reapplied the French polish. Guillaume Cordié, born around 1733, initially worked as a freelance craftsman. He then obtained his master's certificate on June 18, 1766. He then established himself on the rue de Charonne, where he remained until […]
La Rochelle chest of drawers in "Isles wood"«
A look back at the restoration of this rare port chest of drawers. It is made of solid woods brought back from the Orient and the West Indies. Indeed, it combines four precious woods: mahogany, satinwood, palo santo, and ebony. Most notably, it features a fifth: royal ebony. This chest of drawers opens with three wide palo santo drawers, arranged in three rows, separated by Ceylon ebony crossbars. A solid, framed top covers it. Its parquet flooring combines royal ebony crossbars and a mahogany back, partly mottled or pommeled. […]
Regency commode with faun and lion masks
Restoration is complete for this important and rare Regency period commode, known as a "tomb-shaped" commode, a "Regency-style" commode, or a "moustache" commode. Curved on all sides, it features four drawers in three rows. It is topped with Vieux Rance marble from Belgium. It's worth noting that at the beginning of the 18th century, Rance was a French village. Molded in a corbel shape, the marble follows its contours. Veneered entirely in kingwood, this wide commode is enlivened by its powerful curves. Furthermore, brass fluting adorns the front and sides. Most notably, it bears […]
Regency Cartel signed Clément Fiacre Paris
Restoration of a cartel clock in red tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. The movement is stamped by Clément Fiacre in Paris. Clément Fiacre, one of the most important clockmakers of his time, received his master's certificate on January 16, 1714. He settled in Paris and quickly gained renown. Established on Rue Saint-Denis around the mid-1740s, he created his work in the Regency style, where wood was richly worked, notably through tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. He also produced veneers in rosewood, amaranth, and other woods.
Transitional dresser
Restoration of a Transitional style chest of drawers veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with a green-stained Greek key pattern, on an oak frame. Congratulations to Lisa for this first restoration during her internship at the workshop! The work focused primarily on the front rails. First, Lisa replaced the missing amaranth veneer with sawn, scraped, and sanded veneer. Then she applied it to the correct thickness on the back face before gluing it with hot glue. Next, Labovert's GAMMA polar solvent allowed […]
VASSOU stamped chest of drawers
Restoration of a Louis XVI period chiffonier table, stamped by Jean-Baptiste VASSOU (1739-1807). It is made of solid mahogany and mahogany veneer, on oak and softwood frames. It is, moreover, a very finely crafted piece of furniture, with beautiful veneer and a lovely blue Turquin marble top. What exactly is a chiffonier table? The first mention of a "chiffonniere table" appears in 1755 in the journal of the haberdasher Lazare Duvaux (1703-1758). In 1763, the post-mortem inventory of Jean-François Oeben mentions a "frame of a chiffonier table […]
Louis XV Regional Commode
This week, a bit of a change of pace with solid wood. It feels good to get the gouges out again and work on walnut for the restoration of this chest of drawers.
Small Louis XV style commode
Here is the latest restoration by Raphaël, my apprentice. It's a Louis XV period commode. It's veneered in rosewood and violet wood, on a frame of oak and softwood. Condition report: This was an ideal project for tackling the restoration of the structure and veneer. Indeed, almost all the panels were detached and too short. Furthermore, the joints were loose. In addition, both sides had separated from the uprights and were split in the middle. Finally, of course, the […]
Regency Games Table
Restoration of a Regency period games table converted into a desk, resting on four cabriole legs. It is veneered with thick amaranth leaves. It opens with two side drawers, known as "chétrons," and a removable top, secured by a push-button mechanism. This top is lined with leather on its facing and, on the reverse, with a checkerboard veneered in ebony and inlaid with ivory. When the top is removed, it reveals a backgammon set in ebony and ivory. The molded astragal surrounding the top is made of solid amaranth wood. The legs and stretchers are made of beech, the […]
Regency Cartel
Restoration of a Regency clock case in Boulle marquetry on a brown tortoiseshell background. Since Antiquity, humankind has sought to master time and create a "timekeeper." Egyptian obelisks, water clocks, sundials, hourglasses. But it was in the 15th century that the first mechanical weight-driven clocks were made, with a single hand, but generally equipped with striking mechanisms. In the 16th century, the two-hour day, instead of 24, was adopted almost everywhere. Each city, however, retained its own meridian time until the advent of railways and […]
Transition sauté pan with Boudin stamp
Restoration of a Transition period commode stamped by the master cabinetmaker Léonard Boudin (1735 in Paris – 20/12/1807). Constructed of solid oak, it is veneered with amaranth, rosewood, and tobacco-stained maple. Its marquetry of boxwood, hornbeam, and holly forms panels on the front and sides with motifs of flowering vases and covered pots. The front features a slight central projection and opens with two drawers without a central divider. Its rounded uprights rest on cabriole legs. Boudin also produced numerous Transition period commodes […]
Louis XV cartel clock with crowned C
Restoration of a Louis XV cartel clock in tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. Its movement is signed Charles Voisin (1686-1760), master clockmaker in 1710. A distinctive feature of this clock is that its bronze mounts bear the mark of a crowned C. The crowned C: An edict of 1745 required bronze workers to mark their pieces with a small, distinctive letter: a C surmounted by a crown. They were thus required to pay a tax. This tax applied to both objects and furniture adorned with bronze. This mark therefore proves the payment of a tax on bronzes and […]
Louis XV secretary stamped C.Chevallier
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 XIV Library Display Case
Restoration of a small Louis XIV period display cabinet inlaid with foliate scrolls in amaranth, ebony, and maple, framed in olive and cherry wood. The marquetry on this piece is known as the Boulle technique, or superimposed marquetry. The cabinet had a significant number of missing veneers. The restoration work therefore consisted of replacing all these missing veneers with scraped and sanded veneer, prepared to the correct thickness before being glued with hot glue. The most interesting task was the reconstruction of one missing piece […]
Regency commode with crowned R
Restoration of a Regency commode, probably from southeastern France, on a softwood frame. Its veneer combines yew, plum, rosewood, walnut, cherry, amaranth, violet wood, boxwood, and green-stained maple. Besides its highly unusual marquetry decoration, this commode is also distinguished by its crowned R bronze mounts. The crowned R hallmark should not be confused with the crowned C hallmark. The latter corresponds to a tax levied from 1745 to 1749 on objects made of […]
Cordié Transition-branded chest of drawers
Restoration of a Transition period chiffonier, stamped by Guillaume Cordié and bearing the guild mark. It is veneered in rosewood and amaranth, on a frame of oak and softwood. However, its bronze fittings were added later. Guillaume Cordié, born around 1725, initially worked as a freelance craftsman before obtaining his master's certificate on June 18, 1766. He then established himself on the rue de Charonne, where he remained until his death. His works, of fine quality and harmonious proportions, are primarily in the Transition style […]
Directoire Commode
Restoration of a curious Directoire commode in solid walnut and walnut, mahogany, and maple veneer, featuring marquetry of a Medici vase and a Louis XIV-inspired ballet dancer, in brass on an ebony ground. The drawers have walnut bottoms with an ebony stringing surmounted by a quarter-round brass and wood molding, surrounded by a mahogany molding. The uprights are three-quarter-fluted columns terminating in toupie feet. The locks are in the shape of trefoils. A conservation project for this […]
Transition work table
Restoration of a work table with cabriole legs and a stretcher in marquetry of trellis and quatrefoils, known as "à la Reine," veneered in rosewood, inlaid with boxwood, green-stained hornbeam, and boxwood stringing on an oak frame. It opens in the frieze with a drawer forming a writing surface with a leather-lined drop-front and compartments on the sides. The Escallettes marble top is bordered by an openwork brass gallery similar to the one that frames the kidney-shaped stretcher. A minor restoration including some veneer repairs and […]
Transitional chest of drawers stamped SAUNIER
Restoration of a Transition-style two-door commode, inlaid with bottomless cube marquetry. Its frame combines oak for the uprights and rails, softwood for the side panels, and walnut for the two doors. The bottomless cubes themselves blend rosewood, violet wood, and tobacco-stained maple. Furthermore, a green-stained maple and boxwood inset borders the entire piece. In addition, the uprights and door frames are veneered with violet wood and rosewood. The […]
Transition chest of drawers stamped Fromageau
Restoration of a Transition-style commode, known as a "Greek-style" commode, stamped by Jean-Baptiste Fromageau. It is rosewood veneered, with an amaranth frieze and faux fluting. Topped with a Royal red marble slab, it opens with three drawers. The first, narrower drawer features a frieze of glyphs. The two following drawers, however, are inlaid with Greek key patterns at the corners in violet wood. The bronze mounts include ring handles, keyhole escutcheons with knotted ribbons, and a tailpiece with droplets. It also features […]
Louis XV commode stamped NA Lapie
Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped Nicolas Alexandre Lapie, veneered in amaranth and satinwood. Its oak frame is of exceptionally high quality. However, the sides and drawer fronts are made of softwood. Finally, the top is a griotte marble from Campan. Nicolas Alexandre Lapie, son of Nicolas Lapie, a pottery merchant in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and brother of the master cabinetmaker Jean Lapie, Nicolas Alexandre (known as the Elder) appears to have been born around 1730. He registered his master's letters at the Châtelet in Paris on August 17, 1764. […]
Louis XV slant-front desk
Raphaël's first restoration project was this Louis XV period rosewood veneer slant-front secretary. It was a complete restoration involving numerous veneer grafts and a waxed, filled finish. A delicate job, as rosewood is unforgiving. The slightest misstep with the chisel, or excessive sanding, and its beautiful blond patina disappears, revealing the original dark color and causing unsightly stains. Therefore, there was no choice but to scrape and sand the newly sawn veneer and cut it to the correct thickness before gluing it […]
Regency chest of drawers with Spanish-style drawers
Restoration of a Regency period serpentine commode, known as a "spanielette" commode. Curved on all sides, it is veneered in violet wood over a walnut frame. It opens with four drawers in three rows. A Belgian griotte red marble top, with ears and a corbel edge, crowns it. Like the front rails, its pinched uprights feature brass fluting. Its high-quality bronze mounts are superbly chased. Indeed, it features very rare espagnolettes, seen on only six commodes. Four […]
Louis XVI secretary stamped TOPINO
Restoration of a Louis XVI secretary desk stamped by Charles Topino. Its form is typical of Topino, and its frame is made of oak and softwood. The front opens with a drawer and a drop-front covered in red leather and tooled in gold. Behind the drop-front, two compartments and four drawers veneered in rosewood are revealed. Below, two marquetry doors depicting vases and draperies on a tobacco ground conceal a shelf. The drop-front itself features musical instruments, ribbons, and foliage, also on a tobacco ground. Around this, […]
Transition chest of drawers stamped LEGRY
Restoration of a transitional commode stamped by Jean-Louis-François Legry. Its frame is made of oak and softwood. It is veneered with amaranth, rosewood, and satinwood on the sides, with ebony and boxwood stringing. This commode exemplifies the very end of the transition between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. The legs remain the only vestige of the Louis XV curves; they would soon give way to the straight legs of the Louis XVI style. Jean-Louis-François Legry, born in 1745, obtained his master's degree in Paris on […]
Transitional cylinder secretary, stamped SCHLICHTIG
Restoration of a Transition period cylinder desk, stamped Jean-Georges Schlichtig. The legs and stretchers are oak. However, the panels and drop-front are softwood. It is rosewood veneered, with marquetry of bottomless cubes in rosewood and tobacco-stained sycamore. Furthermore, the Greek key stringing combines hornbeam and holly. The back and interior drawers are veneered in satinwood. Finally, this model is common in the work of this cabinetmaker, who produced several variations with bottomless cubes. The […]
Louis XV desk stamped SAR
Restoration of a Louis XV desk stamped by Jean-Girard-Théodore SAR. It is a magnificent desk, of very high quality craftsmanship. Its legs, apron, and drawers are made of walnut. The top, however, is made of softwood. Finally, a beautiful Indian ebony covers the entire piece. Jean-Girard-Théodore SAR was born in 1724 and became a master craftsman on October 1, 1766. Established on Rue de Lappe, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, he worked primarily for fellow craftsmen. Among them were Migeon from 1755, Coulon in 1774, and Dubuisson. In addition, he supplied […]
Louis XV desk
Restoration of a Louis XV desk veneered in rosewood and violet wood on an oak and softwood frame. Replacement of missing veneer, cleaning, and refinishing with a French polish. Cleaning and conservation of the leather. Removal and steam cleaning of the gilt bronze mounts. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Transitional chest of drawers stamped J.STUMPFF
Here are some images of the restoration of this commode stamped by Jean-Chrysostôme Stumpff (1731 – January 17, 1806 – received as a master craftsman on August 27, 1766). Its frame combines oak and softwood. Furthermore, it is veneered with rosewood in a butterfly wing pattern and amaranth, with stringing of boxwood and green-stained maple. J. Stumpff, originally from Schweigern, Swabia (Germany), married in 1760 in Paris, at the Swedish embassy, like most of his Protestant compatriots. In fact, his witness was his colleague […]
Regency commode by François LIEUTAUD
Restoration of a Regency period commode in alternating rosewood and walnut, inlaid with friezes and fillets. Its slightly curved front opens with three wide drawers. A brass molding encircles the top, which features a geometric design of circles around a central polylobed motif adorned with figures. Polished brass fluting embellishes the uprights and rails. The sides are veneered with walnut in a diamond pattern. Finally, the tapered feet terminate in claw feet. The commode also features large, chased and gilded bronze mounts.
Hairdresser E.GOMME G-Plan
Restoration of a 1960s teak-veneered dressing table, signed by the firm G-Plan. Ebenezer Gomme. In 1898, Ebenezer Gomme (1858-1931) founded the E. Gomme Ltd. joinery workshop in High Wycombe, England. It quickly became one of the major centers of English furniture manufacturing, a position it held until the 1940s. During the Second World War, however, timber was scarce in Great Britain. All woodworking industries were therefore forced to produce more utilitarian than decorative objects. In 1953, Donald Gomme became convinced that a more modern and streamlined style could appeal […]
Louis XIV commode
Restoration of a Louis XIV period commode veneered in olive burl, ash, and walnut, likely from the Dauphiné region. This type of D-shaped commode, along with the Mazarine commode, is among the very first commodes popularized under Louis XIV. The first French furniture resembling the commode did not appear until around 1700. The oldest known and datable Parisian commodes are those delivered by André-Charles Boulle to Versailles around 1708. Their very simple decorations are inspired by Dutch designs. They are often the work of Protestant cabinetmakers, who were very fond of […]
RELIGIOUS CLOCK, Sarrabat Paris
Restoration of a "religious" clock from the third quarter of the 17th century, which chimes on the hours and half-hours. The dial and movement are signed "Sarrabat à Paris." Religious clocks were among the first clocks produced during the reign of the Sun King. Indeed, their use developed from 1660 onwards, thanks to the regulator pendulum developed by Huygens. This particular clock features Boulle marquetry of red tortoiseshell, brass, and pewter, set on a walnut frame. It is further adorned with gilt bronze mounts and ebony moldings. Thus, […]
Writing table stamped JF LELEU
Restauration d’une table à écrire Louis XVI estampillée de Jean François Leleu. Elle est entièrement bâtie en chêne. Sur toutes ses faces, elle est plaquée de croisillons d’érable teinté gris, avec des filets d’amarante, de buis et de bois noirci, et des fleurons en buis sur fond de bois de rose. Les quatre pieds sont ornementés d’un médaillon de feuille d’acanthe sur fond de sycomore teinté vert. Des clochettes agrémentent le haut et le bas du fleuron ainsi que le haut des pieds. Sur le plateau les croisillons sont concentrés […]
Regency chest of drawers stamped ID
Restoration of a Regency commode, veneered in rosewood on a conifer frame. It was only after three weeks of work that I noticed a strange mark. It had been right in front of me from the start, and I hadn't seen it. It is indeed quite rare to see a stamped Regency commode. But yes, the mark was definitely there. And it's not a modest one: this ID stamp is attributed to Jacques Denizot. Jacques Denizot (1684–1760) was a Parisian cabinetmaker who remains relatively unknown. […]
Transition chest of drawers stamped Etienne AVRIL
Restoration of a Transition-style commode stamped three times E.AVRIL. It is veneered with amaranth, rosewood, and satinwood. In addition, it is adorned with green-tinted stringing. Finally, its frame is made of oak and softwood. Etienne Avril (1748-1791) Étienne Avril, known as Avril the Elder to distinguish him from his brother Pierre, became a master cabinetmaker on November 23, 1774. Dying young in 1791, he thus witnessed the agony of the Ancien Régime and the end of the guilds. Born in 1748, the son of a cab driver, nothing, however, destined him for cabinetmaking. […]
Louis XV cartel clock signed Lévêque in Paris
Restoration of a Louis XV period cartel clock signed LEVEQUE A PARIS with its original movement. The surprise: this cartel clock is made of mahogany. As curious as it may seem, the tool marks, the quality of the workmanship, and the wood appear entirely authentic. With its shape and rocaille bronze mounts typical of the Louis XV style, it would therefore date from the second half of the 18th century. It would thus be a precursor to the arrival of mahogany in French furniture. The restoration consisted of removing the bronze mounts and […]
Eight-foot desk known as the "Mazarin" desk«
Restoration of an iconic piece of Louis XIV furniture, the Mazarin desk, named after the famous minister who served the king between 1642 and 1661, and who gave his name to this type of eight-legged desk. The stretchers and the narrow space between the two drawer units are a reminder that this type of desk required the user to sit at an angle: one knee below the writing surface and the other outside. This position was dictated by the wearing of the sword, always on the left. This […]
Art Deco games table and pedestal table
Restoration of a 1930s pedestal table and games table veneered in Macassar ebony and maple. A few veneer grafts and a touch-up of the French polish finish were all it took to restore the luster to this beautiful set. Did you know: Macassar ebony (Dyospyros celebica) is a tree endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Macassar ebony is also called golden ebony or Coromandel. It is also found in Malaysia, where it is known as Kajol marte. It belongs to the Ebenaceae family. It takes its name from the main port […]
Louis XV coffee table
Restoration of a mid-18th-century side table or writing table veneered in kingwood and rosewood for the chamfers. A minor restoration for everyday use. The most time-consuming part was reattaching approximately 90% small pieces of rosewood. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Louis XV commode
Restoration of a Louis XV period commode veneered in rosewood and violet wood. The commode, also known as the commode sauteuse, appeared during the Regency period, between 1705 and 1730, and is attributed to the cabinetmaker Charles Cressent. It consists of two drawers or two rows of drawers. The body is raised on half-height supports, with the body occupying half the height of the piece and the other half the legs. Intended to distinguish itself from the heavy and massive Louis XIV style, it is slender and graceful, almost ethereal. After restoration […]
Transitional chest of drawers stamped Léonard Boudin
Restoration of a Transition period commode stamped by the master cabinetmaker Léonard Boudin (1735 in Paris – 20/12/1807). It is constructed of solid oak and veneered with amaranth, rosewood, and ribbon satinwood (Brosimum rubescens). This South American wood owes its highly decorative appearance to the pronounced interlocked grain of its quarter-sawn construction. It belongs to the same family as snakewood (Brosimum guianense). Boudin was primarily a merchant during the Transition period. It is therefore likely that this commode is by the hand of André Louis Gilbert (1746-1809), when he was not yet […]
Louis XV writing table
Restoration of a Louis XV period drawing table, or more precisely, a writing table. It is veneered in rosewood and kingwood, with satinwood on the back. Born from the passion for correspondence in the 18th century, fashionable merchants displayed all their ingenuity. They created numerous models of utilitarian tables, designed to be placed in the center of a room. These differed from ordinary tables: they generally included a writing surface and drawers for ink and quills. The term […]
Wardrobe of Bretteville the Proud
It was in the mid-17th century that what we now call the Norman wardrobe originated. But it was in the 18th century that it took on the characteristic form we know today. With its two doors, cabriole legs, and wide cornice with broad sculpted decoration, it combines Louis XV structure and style with Louis XVI motifs. At that time, economic and social stability allowed for a certain improvement in living standards. The wardrobe then found its way into bourgeois and peasant homes. The 19th century would be the golden age of the Norman wardrobe. Destined […]
Louis XIV commode from the Dauphiné region
Restoration of a Louis XIV period commode in olive burl, rosewood, and boxwood, likely from the Dauphiné region. Along with Mazarine commodes, this type of D-shaped commode is among the very first commodes produced during the reign of Louis XIV. Indeed, the first French furniture resembling the commode only appeared around 1700. Thus, the oldest known Parisian commodes are those delivered by André-Charles Boulle to Versailles around 1708. Their very simple decorations are inspired by Dutch models. They are, moreover, often the work of Protestant cabinetmakers, who favored native woods according to the precepts of […]
Regency commode stamped by Michel Mallerot
Restoration of a commode stamped Michel Mallerot. With its serpentine front, it is entirely veneered in kingwood. Its frame is made of fir. As for the drawers, their sides are beech and their bottoms are walnut. You don't know Michel Mallerot? That's understandable! Indeed, Michel Mallerot (1675-1753) remains little known, like many Parisian cabinetmakers of the early 18th century. He was identified thanks to a pencil inscription, "M. Mallerot," on a Regency commode bearing this abbreviated stamp (formerly in the Philippe Glédel collection). The […]
Regency Cartel
Here are some images of the restoration of a Regency period cartel clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry on an oak frame. The movement is signed CLOUZIER A PARIS. Jacques Clouzier (1692-1754) was admitted as a master watchmaker by presentation of his masterpiece on July 5, 1692. He is among the greatest Parisian watchmakers of the Louis XIV and Regency periods. He became a member of the watchmakers' guild in the 1700s. He worked on Rue Saint-Antoine until 1726, then on Rue des Prêtres-Saint-Paul. Active until his death in 1754, he collaborated with the greatest cabinetmakers and bronze workers, such as […]
Hairdresser from Grenoble
Restoration of an 18th-century dressing table from the Grenoble region, crafted from solid walnut with elm, blackened, and green-stained veneers. Before restoration. After restoration. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Regency chest of drawers
To start the year, here are some photos of the restoration of this Regency commode. Made entirely of softwood, it is veneered with kingwood. Its uprights and rails are adorned with brass fluting. The bronze handles, influenced by Asia and the East India Company trade, are commonly referred to as "Chinese." The keyhole escutcheons, meanwhile, herald the arrival of the Louis XV style in the first half of the 18th century. Upon its arrival, in addition to some missing and peeling veneer, the commode presented a problem […]
8-foot desk stamped Manet
Restoration of an eight-legged desk, commonly known as a "Mazarin" desk, from the Louis XIV period, late/early 17th century. Its frame is made of solid pear and softwood, with pear wood sides and drawer bottoms. It features two side cabinets, each with three drawers, and a central drawer above a middle cabinet with rounded edges. Two X-shaped stretchers connect the uprights and the eight console-like legs. The drawers are inlaid with pewter and blackened pear wood, depicting a late 17th-century design. The sides, as well as […]
Louis XIV commode
Restoration of a Louis XIV commode constructed of fir and Rio rosewood veneer. The front is slightly convex, as are the uprights and rails. It features brass fluting. The remarkably crafted varnished bronze mounts have retained their original varnish. The restoration consisted of rehydrating all veneered surfaces by infiltrating glue. Missing areas were filled with rosewood veneers that were sawn, scraped, sanded, cut to the correct thickness as a backing, and UV-oxidized before being glued with hot glue. As you can see on […]
Small chest of drawers from La Rochelle
Here is the restoration of a small Louis XV commode, made of solid satinwood and ribboned satinwood. Curved on all sides, including the back, it opens with three drawers. In addition, a pull-out candle holder opens at the back. It comes from La Rochelle and dates from the 18th century. Its top, molded with a corbel-shaped edge highlighted by a cavetto molding, is made of ribboned satinwood. This wood is also used on the front and sides. In contrast, the base is made of straight-grain satinwood, with "snail" feet ending in split goat's hoof feet. [… ]
Louis XVI writing table
Restoration of a writing table built in oak, with a solid mahogany top and mahogany burl veneer. It features a large drawer in the frieze and rests on four tapered legs ending in gilt bronze sabots. Typical work of the late 18th century. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/ This piece can be found at Antiquités Stéphane Guin.
Roussel Stamped Chest of Drawers
Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped by the Parisian cabinetmaker Pierre Roussel. It is constructed of oak, with conifer panels. It is veneered with rosewood arranged in a herringbone pattern, framed by violet wood. The stringing is boxwood. Pierre Roussel was the son of Michel Roussel, a journeyman cabinetmaker originally from the Cotentin peninsula. His younger brothers, Jacques, Michel, and Louis, chose joinery; he was the only one to opt for cabinetmaking. He obtained his master craftsman's certificate on August 21, 1745. He settled in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, […]
Louis XV Cartel
Restoration of a Louis XV period clock case and its corbel, in pure Rococo style. It is made of solid oak and veneered with brass and tortoiseshell. Do you know what Rococo style is? Rococo style belongs to the early period of the Louis XV style (1723-1750) and reached its peak around 1730. It is distinguished by its rich naturalistic decoration. It draws inspiration from artificial grottoes and reconstructed rocks in asymmetrical compositions. A late heir to the Baroque, this decoration is complemented by seashells, mineral elements, cascading foliage, […]
Money changer's office
A few weeks ago, I introduced you to a money changer's table. Well, here's its successor: the money changer's desk. Inspired by the eight-legged desks more commonly known as "Mazarin desks," the money changer's desk is a smaller version. Often transported, it must protect the valuables it contains. Through its marquetry and more or less elaborate veneers, it also displays the prosperity of its owner. For those interested in the origins of these pieces of furniture and the money changer's profession, I […]
Louis XVI secretary stamped Montigny
A little restoration for this Louis XV period secretary desk stamped by Philippe-Claude Montigny. It is constructed of oak and softwood, and veneered with rosewood, amaranth, and boxwood. It consists of a top drawer, a drop-front, and two doors. The interior compartments contain six drawers. Philippe Claude Montigny (1734-1800) became a master craftsman on January 29, 1766. Son of Louis Montigny, a privileged craftsman of the King, he owned a workshop in the Contrescarpe district of Paris. He was also the brother-in-law of Fidelis Schey, a cabinetmaker […]
Louis XV/Transitional Commode
A true renaissance for this chest of drawers, which I call Louis XV/Transitional because its form and construction are entirely Louis XV. However, the handles and keyhole escutcheons are typically Louis XVI. And I can attest that these are indeed its original fittings. The nail holes match perfectly, and there are no other holes beneath the bronze mounts. So, even if this piece of furniture doesn't conform to what is commonly called the Transitional style, this chest of drawers is most certainly one of the first […]
Somno Empire
Restoration of an Empire-period somno, veneered in mahogany burl. You might be wondering what a somno is? The somno, or somneau, appeared during the Consulate, at the beginning of the Napoleonic era. It is a small, table-shaped piece of furniture, cylindrical or square. Its closed section serves as storage. It is therefore placed in the bedroom, often near the bed, as a nightstand. Finally, it was during the Empire that it acquired the name "somno," from the Latin somnus, meaning sleep. The somno under the Empire. Under the First Empire, the somno […]
Louis XVI cooler
Restoration of a refreshment table. Its legs are solid mahogany, the rest is mahogany burl veneer, with brass quarter-round moldings. The refreshment table. The 18th century was the century of thought, philosophy, and intimacy. A fashion emerged among the wealthier classes: intimate dinners or suppers, without household staff. Whether for romantic trysts or to plan the impending French Revolution, prying ears were not to be missed. This trend influenced […]
Empire Chest of Drawers
Restoration of a mahogany burl veneer commode with three drawers. Its straight uprights form Corinthian pilasters. The front feet are claw feet, while the rear feet feature three decreasing balls, known as a rosary. It is topped with a black Belgian granite slab. Finally, it has retained all its original gilt bronze mounts, as well as its trefoil locks and key. The gilt bronze mounts feature Corinthian capitals with projecting bird heads, palmettes, acanthus leaves, flowers, and scrolls. They also play on […]
Louis XVI commode
Restoration of a Louis XVI period provincial commode. It is constructed of softwood and oak, and veneered with violet wood, rosewood, sycamore maple, boxwood, ebony, and stained maple. At its center, a bucolic scene depicts two women playing cards between two trees, watched by a man. In the background, a house and a church are visible. The entire scene is framed by a medallion of flowers engraved and colored with black and red wax. The two lower drawers are framed by a frieze depicting a […]
Money changer table
Restoration of a 17th-century money changer's table in solid walnut and walnut and sycamore maple veneer. The marquetry inscription on its top indicates that it comes from Germany: "Trink und iss Gott nit wergiss," meaning "Eat and drink, but do not forget God." It has two drawers, a top, and a sliding extension. An X-shaped stretcher connects its legs. What is a money changer's table? The profession of money changer appeared in the 13th century with the expansion of trade. To keep safe the money exchanged for clients, a piece of furniture was created […]
Coffee table stamped P.GARNIER JME
Restoration of a Transition period (1750-1774) salon table, veneered in satinwood and stamped by Pierre Garnier (circa 1726-1800). Originally from Paris, the son of master cabinetmaker François Garnier, Pierre Garnier obtained his master's certificate on December 31, 1742. Unlike his father, he left the Faubourg Saint-Antoine for the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, near the Place Vendôme. His clientele included merchants such as Léonard Boudin and Pierre Migeon, but above all, the wealthiest members of the kingdom. He thus fulfilled numerous commissions for Louis Georges Érasme, Marshal of France, and the Duchess of […]
P.ROUSSEL Games Table
Restoration of a Louis XV period marquetry game table (or backgammon table) with dice (or cubes) veneered in amaranth, rosewood, violet wood, palisander, ebony, and ivory. This table is stamped by the Parisian cabinetmaker Pierre Roussel (September 28, 1723 – June 7, 1782). Pierre Roussel was the son of Michel Roussel, a journeyman cabinetmaker from the Cotentin peninsula. His younger brothers, Jacques, Michel, and Louis, chose carpentry; he alone opted for cabinetmaking. He became a master on August 21, 1745. He then set up shop in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, on rue […]
Regency Cartel
Restoration of a large cartel clock (137 cm high) and its bracketed base, from the Regency period. Made of solid oak, it is veneered with Boulle marquetry of brown tortoiseshell and brass. It is further adorned with floral garlands, crosshatching, and foliage. Its chased and gilded bronze dial features interlacing patterns and birds. The Roman numerals are enameled, and a reserve bears the signature St Martin à Paris. The clock plate also bears the same name. Finally, on the capital, chased and gilded bronzes depict […]
Louis XVI gueridon stamped JH RIESENER JME
A minor restoration for this "shelf-sized" pedestal table, also known as a "dumb servant." It is made of solid and veneered mahogany, with an Aleppo breccia marble top. Furthermore, it bears the stamp of the equally renowned cabinetmaker to the Crown Furniture Repository, Jean-Henri Riesener. Jean-Henri Riesener: Does Jean-Henri Riesener (July 4, 1734 – January 6, 1806) even need an introduction? Indeed, he is the undisputed master of the Louis XVI style, due to the breadth and variety of his work. Above all, he is renowned for the quality and splendor of his furniture […]
17th Century Box
Restoration of a small Louis XIV period walnut and violet wood veneer box. Repair of missing veneer, re-gluing of joints, and reconstruction of the drawer and missing interior elements. Polished wax finish. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Louis XV cartel clock with crowned C
Here are some images of the restoration of a clock case that some may have glimpsed during the work at the Mans'Art fair this year. Dating from the Louis XV period, it is inlaid with tortoiseshell and brass on an oak frame. The bronze pieces bear the hallmark of the Crowned C. The Crowned C is a reference to an edict of 1745 that required bronze workers to mark their pieces with a small distinctive letter, a C surmounted by a crown, thus subjecting them to a tax. This tax applied to both objects and furniture that […]
Louis XV corner cabinet
Restoration of a Louis XV corner cabinet in marquetry of various woods: maple, hornbeam, boxwood, and holly. Apart from the green of the leaves, the colors of some of the flowers and ribbons have faded. The marquetry stands out against a rosewood background, framed by a boxwood border and a rosewood frieze. Finally, the solid oak frame is assembled with dovetail joints. Condition report: As the photos show, the varnish was heavily sun-faded. Furthermore, the glues used for the marquetry on the doors were severely dehydrated, and one piece was missing.
Louis XVI games table
Restoration of a late 18th-century games table (circa 1785). It is veneered in mahogany burl, with inlaid stringing of brass, ebony, and ferreol. This South American wood is named after a 17th-century governor of Guyana. The legs are solid mahogany, and the interior is veneered with ebony and bone dyed green and natural. Its reversible top is leather-covered on one side and mahogany burl veneer on the other. The interior has two niches, a drawer on each side, and […]
LARDIN transitional chest of drawers
Restoration of a Transition period commode. Constructed of fir and oak, it is veneered with rosewood and violet wood, with a Greek key frieze of green-stained hornbeam stringing. The sides are veneered with satinwood and violet wood. André-Antoine Lardin (1724 – August 10, 1790) obtained his master craftsman's certificate on July 1, 1750. He set up shop on rue de Charenton, under the sign "Au Bois de Boulogne." He worked there until 1770, then moved to rue Saint-Nicolas. His output was considerable. His furniture, in all styles (Louis […]
Mazarine Chest of Drawers
Restoration of a Louis XIV period commode, known as a Mazarine commode, veneered in brass and ebony on a softwood frame. Its drawers are serpentine: two full-length drawers surmounted by two half-drawers separated by an intermediate stile. Their fronts are made of softwood, their sides and bottoms of walnut. The brass decoration supporting the pendant handles features fine marquetry of scrolls, foliage, foliage, and arabesques. A geometric brass cartouche frames it and simulates keyhole escutcheons. The commode rests on four supports with […]
Chinese chest of drawers
This week, I'm presenting a Louis XIV commode from the first half of the 18th century. It's veneered in Rio rosewood and adorned with Chinese-style bronze mounts. Height: 85.7 cm, Width: 125 cm, Depth: 60.5 cm. The frame is made of softwood, with planks joined edge-to-edge. The sides, top, and bottom are dovetailed. The back is composed of several planks nailed into the rebates of the sides. The drawer bottoms and sides are made of […]
Louis XVI commode stamped JB.Tuart
Here is a very pretty Louis XVI period commode, veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with marquetry of boxwood, pearwood, maple, hornbeam, walnut, blackened pearwood, lemonwood… It is built of oak and softwood. It is stamped twice with the mark of Jean-Baptiste II TUART. But its maker is probably Jean LAPIE. Jean-Baptiste II Tuart came from a dynasty of Parisian cabinetmakers and merchants. His father, Jean-Baptiste I, obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1741 and remained active until around 1760. Born around 1720, Jean-Baptiste II was not a master cabinetmaker, but a master woodworker […]
Louis XVI planter
A little restoration for this Louis XVI jardinière in mottled mahogany veneer and solid mahogany for the feet. Simply regluing the joints, which had become slightly loose, restoring the varnish yellowed with age using a French polish, and re-gilding the bronze mounts were enough to give it a new lease on life. To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Secretary LXVI stamped Martin Carlin
Restoration of a Louis XVI period lady's writing desk stamped by Martin Carlin JME. The frame is solid oak, with softwood for the drop-front and lower door. The exterior is entirely veneered in 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 its colors and luster […]
Marquises stamped C.SENE
Conservation work on these two marquise chairs stamped by Claude I Sené. Claude I Sené (1724-1792), son of Jean Sené, obtained his master craftsman's certificate in Paris in 1743. He worked in the same workshop as his brother-in-law, the cabinetmaker Jean-Étienne Saint-Georges, on the rue de Cléry, under the sign "du Grand Saint-Georges." His output included numerous Louis XV chairs, but very few Louis XVI pieces. He ceased working in 1780. He was the father of two other illustrious chair makers: Jean-Baptiste Claude and Claude II. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Le Mobilier Français […]
Regency chest of drawers
Restoration of a Regency commode veneered in rosewood and palisander. It arrived in very poor condition: the joints were completely detached, there were numerous missing veneers, and significant structural deformations on the sides. Its patina was also heavily soiled by multiple layers of dark wax. The bronze mounts and locks had been added in the 19th century during a restoration—a typical restoration for this type of furniture. We re-glued the sides and joints as best we could, replaced the missing veneer, and reattached the brass fluting. Above all, […]
Esterházy Chest of Drawers
Restoration of this unusual piece of furniture from Austria/Hungary. I had some difficulty placing it geographically. It clearly didn't come from France, but rather from Eastern Europe. But from where? Fortunately, the engravings provide valuable clues. The clothing corresponds to the late 17th or early 18th century. The landscapes show mountains and villages, deciduous and coniferous trees, and several ruins of medieval castles. So it's not northeastern Europe, but rather Bavaria or Austria/Hungary. […]
Directoire Liquor Cellar
Minor restoration of a Directoire-era liquor cabinet veneered in brass and amboyna burl, with a clover-shaped lock. The stamp reads: "Made by Maire, cabinetmaker, 13 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris." To see previous restorations: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Napoleon III worker
Restoration of a Napoleon III period sewing table inlaid with mother-of-pearl, brass, and ebony. As you can see from the photos, this sewing table was in very poor condition. Only the dedication of its owner saved it. Indeed, the restoration time would have been far too long considering the object's value. First, almost all the brass inlay on the base was missing. In addition, there was a significant amount of veneer missing. Finally, the passage of a chair and a dog bite had caused damage. But the […]
cherry wood sideboard
Construction of a solid cherry wood sideboard. Oak plywood back panel and solid oak drawer and shelf. Oiled finish.
Cherrywood bookcases
Construction of a solid cherry wood bookcase with an oak plywood back panel and aluminum adjustable shelves. Oiled finish.
Empire side table
Restoration of an Empire period pedestal table, veneered in mahogany burl. It arrived at the workshop in rather poor condition. The bronze mounts were heavily soiled. There were also many structural separations and missing veneers. The restoration therefore consisted of re-gluing the structure and veneers under vacuum, with the injection of a penetrating adhesive for the upper apron and the central column. I removed the few old grafts that had been applied against the grain and replaced them with a better-matching veneer. I then reapplied the old varnish using a French polish and […]
Directoire cylinder desk
Restoration of a late 18th-century Directoire roll-top desk, veneered in mahogany burl on all four sides. It bears the mark CD or GD, which is unknown to me. Any information regarding it would be greatly appreciated! The piece is entirely constructed of oak, without a single piece of poplar, not even for the drawer pulls or panels. In the upper section, a cylinder reveals four small drawers surmounted by a niche. It also reveals a sliding writing surface and two side pull-outs, all lined with gilt leather tooled in small pieces. The […]
Mazarin Boulle Office
To end the year on a high note, here's a restoration that occupied a large part of my time this year and which reached its owner a few weeks ago. It's the restoration of an eight-legged writing desk, commonly known as a "Mazarin" desk. Constructed of solid oak and softwood, the sides and drawer bottoms are made of light walnut. The marquetry covering it consists of Caret tortoiseshell (Eretmochelys imbricata) on a vermilion red ground, and brass. All of this is framed by delicate ebony stringing. It is […]
TV stand
Construction of a TV and hi-fi unit with a record bin. It is veneered with tineo and rosewood on oak plywood and solid oak. Its legs are made of black steel.
Louis XVI commode
This week, we restored a Louis XVI commode with a projecting front, veneered in Rio rosewood, amaranth, rosewood, and violet wood. Boxwood and ebony stringing forms a coiled ribbon, with engravings filled in red wax. Finally, the tapered feet and canted uprights feature faux fluting in ebony and boxwood. However, no stamp allows us to attribute this very fine piece, crafted from high-quality wood. The restoration required little work. In fact, a colleague was already […]
Eight-foot desk known as the "Mazarin" desk«
Extensive restoration work has been undertaken on this Mazarin desk, veneered in kingwood and rosewood. It is entirely veneered on fir, with a solid rosewood base. The top features a marquetry of rosewood stars, surrounded by kingwood butterfly wings arranged in circles. Why the name "Mazarin"? The eight-legged desk is one of the jewels of 17th-century furniture. Antique dealers only began calling it "Mazarin" in the 19th century, to lend it more "prestige." In reality, it only appeared around […]
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 desk
A major restoration was undertaken for this small Louis XV style desk, richly adorned with bronze mounts and veneered in rosewood. The restoration involved replacing the missing veneer while preserving as much of the remaining material as possible. This was achieved by using veneer that was sliced, scraped, sanded, oxidized, and varnished before being re-glued, thus avoiding the need to sand the piece before finishing. Rosewood is a very dark wood that lightens with age, developing a beautiful reddish patina that cannot be removed by any means.
Regency chest of drawers
Originating in the late 17th century but only acquiring its name in the early 18th century, this is the first classic model of a commode. Although typically Louis XIV in style, it may not have existed before the Regency period. With rounded corner pilasters with slightly convex faces, deep copper fluting, veneer, and geometric bronze mounts, it features three rows of drawers. It perpetuates the spirit of Louis XIV furniture throughout much of the 18th century. Bibliography: Furniture […]
Transitional dresser
Restoration of a transitional period commode with a projecting front, veneered in rosewood and palisander. The Greek key-patterned moldings, stained green, are made of hornbeam, and the front features a butterfly wing design. It opens with two large drawers with concealed crossbars, and three drawers in an upper row. The uprights, with simulated fluting, are veneered in ebony and boxwood. It rests on four cabriole legs adorned with hoof-shaped feet. Over the centuries, its structure has […]
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, […]
Louis Philippe Buffet
For a change of pace this week, a bit of what's called "rustic" furniture. It's a welcome change from veneer, and to be honest, it's not unpleasant. I'm even quite pleased to have this kind of piece to restore because, unfortunately, many of these pieces, having lost their market value, end up in the landfill or are simply burned. Moreover, these aren't pieces that require a huge amount of work. For this Louis Philippe two-part sideboard, the restoration consisted of replacing the chestnut planks […]
Louis XVI Powder Box/Writing Table
The dressing table, sometimes called a powder table, can be defined as a vanity unit in the form of a table or a small writing desk with drawers. This new type of furniture appeared around 1730, shortly after the commode. Moreover, it is often richly inlaid or veneered with precious woods. A powder table that also serves as a desk: This rather unusual powder table also serves as a desk, or at least a writing table. Its four legs are made of solid mahogany, and the crossbars are veneered with mahogany. In addition, it features wood and brass moldings […]
Louis XVI commode stamped JA LECLERE
Jacques-Antoine Leclere (1744 – January 30, 1792) obtained his master craftsman's certificate in Paris on September 29, 1779. He worked on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, then on the rue des Barres, and finally in the courtyard of the Jewish Quarter, a stone's throw from the Bastille. This cabinetmaker produced well-made Louis XV and Louis XVI pieces. He used rosewood, satinwood, mahogany, and also lacquer panels. His stamp can be found on secretaries, chests of drawers, and various small pieces of furniture. For example, a pair of Louis XVI half-moon commodes veneered […]
Louis XV/Transition Commode by Nicolas Abraham Couleru
This slightly curved commode opens with three drawers. It is veneered with bottomless cubes of walnut, plum, and cherry wood. Its top is inlaid with a bouquet of flowers on an amaranth ground. Plum, or damson, is easily recognizable by its sapwood demarcations: these create a lighter pattern and give the decoration an irregular appearance. The frame is made of fir and walnut. It is difficult to assign this commode to a specific style. It is Louis XV, but the simplicity of its stringing and the marquetry framing clearly suggests […]
"Cabaret" pedestal table«
Very fashionable at the end of the 18th century, the cabaret table, or cabaret table, is characterized by a raised, basin-shaped top. Slightly hollowed out and edged with a rim all around, it safely holds tea, chocolate, and other beverages. This model, similar to those by the cabinetmaker Canabas, is made of solid mahogany from Saint-Domingue, with metal reinforcement under the legs. The biggest problem was the leg, which wobbled in all directions. So I mainly removed the screws added during a previous restoration, reconstructed […]
Transitional chest of drawers stamped A. HERICOURT
Congratulations to Arnaud for the restoration of this Transition period commode veneered in rosewood, amaranth, and satinwood for the sides, and green-stained maple for the stringing. The frame is made of oak and softwood. Antoine Héricourt (c. 1730–1792) obtained his master craftsman's certificate on October 20, 1773, after working for several years as a journeyman in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. He then established himself on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, later becoming a representative of his guild and a syndic. His substantial output, highly prized by both French and international clientele, includes classical furniture and […]
Empire X-Leg Desk
Here are some images of the restoration of this desk, with a solid mahogany base and mahogany burl veneer for the rest. Note that the recessed top is made from a single 12mm thick plank of solid mahogany burl. Here is the desk before restoration. The bulk of the work is on the legs. They are broken at the middle joint. They have already been repaired and are held together only by additional screws. Two cracks can be seen at the […]
Louis XV writing table
Before/after the restoration of a Louis XV writing table veneered in kingwood on solid oak. It has two side drawers and a central pull-out shelf beneath the leather-covered top. Besides the significant discoloration of the varnish, there were some small areas of peeling and missing veneer. The missing pieces were replaced with new veneer, which was sawn, scraped, and sanded, then cut to the correct thickness before gluing in order to avoid disturbing the patina beneath the bleached varnish. The […]
Louis XVI Molitor Console
Restoration of a Louis XVI console table (1790-1795) stamped by Bernard Molitor. The frame is oak, and the legs are solid mahogany. The panels of the lower shelf are beech. It is veneered with mahogany burl and ebony and brass stringing. Originally from Luxembourg, Bernard Molitor (1755 – November 17, 1833) obtained his master craftsman's certificate in Paris on October 26, 1787. Arriving in Paris in 1776, he initially worked in a small workshop in the Arsenal district. After completing his master's degree, he established himself on the rue de Bourbon-Saint-Germain. The austerity of his work, […]
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 […]
Louis XV slant-front secretary
This week, a curious and very pretty Louis XV period secretary/desk with a slanted front in Boulle marquetry and rosewood. Yes, the reuse of Boulle marquetry wasn't only fashionable under Napoleon III! In fact, Boulle marquetry never ceased to have admirers in the 18th century. The renewed interest was particularly noticeable from the 1750s onwards. Prominent furniture merchants, such as Lazare Duvaux, resold them at exorbitant prices to prestigious clients. Madame de Pompadour herself bought a commode as a gift for her […]
Regency chest of drawers
This small chest of drawers has a classic form typical of the Regency period. It still retains the rigor of the Louis XIV style: the front is curved, the front uprights are rounded, and the sides remain straight. It opens with three drawers. Its uprights and intermediate rails are decorated with brass fluting. The frame is entirely made of fir. The intermediate panels are dovetailed into the sides. The back is made of horizontal planks, nailed with rebates. The drawers are walnut, except for their wooden fronts […]
Napoleon III Boulle marquetry games table
Congratulations to Damien (intern) for restoring this Boulle marquetry games table. It was quite a task. Almost all the brass veneers were peeling off, there were some missing brass pieces, but most importantly, many missing tortoiseshell pieces. The glues were severely dehydrated, judging by the blistering tortoiseshell. The games table was completely disassembled. All the missing brass pieces were cut out using a marquetry easel and then engraved with a burin. As for the tortoiseshell, we opted for […]
Transition cylinder desk
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of restoring this magnificent Transition period (1780) roll-top desk. Its frame is made of oak and fir. Most notably, it is veneered with rosewood, arranged in a butterfly pattern on the fall front. Around this, a delicate border of boxwood and green-stained hornbeam stringing is edged with a narrow band of amaranth. The back is veneered in satinwood. Finally, the central marquetry, on a tobacco-stained sycamore background, depicts musical instruments. Two doves are flying above, a musical score within […]
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). […]
Transitional chest of drawers stamped LARDIN
Restoration of a Transition period commode, constructed of fir and oak and veneered with rosewood. It is framed by hornbeam stringing, white and green-stained, with a satinwood band edged in amaranth. The central medallion is made of satinwood veneer assembled in a herringbone pattern. The maker's mark and the JME (Journée des Métiers d'Art) are located at the base of the left rear leg. André-Antoine Lardin (1724 – August 10, 1790) obtained his master craftsman's certificate on July 1, 1750. He established himself on the rue de Charenton, at the sign "Au Bois de Boulogne," and worked there until 1770. He then moved […]
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. […]
Barber shop Louis XVI/Directory
This elegant barber's cabinet in solid and veneered mahogany dates from the late 18th century. It rests on four tapered legs with casters and opens with three drawers in the front. Above, a niche with a blue Turquin marble top is framed by fluted columns. Next come two side drawers and a sliding marble top with a recessed base. Finally, this reveals a mirror that pivots on a rack and pinion mechanism, framed with ebony and brass stringing. Appearing during the reign of Louis XVI, the barber's cabinet is a piece of men's grooming furniture. Indeed, it holds the pitcher and […]
Empire Console
Here are some images of the restoration of this Empire-style console table. But first, a little history: do you know what a console table is and what its use was? Primarily a decorative piece of furniture, the console table was placed in the entrance hall of apartments or between two windows. The "console table," as it was called during the reign of Louis XV, was placed against the wall. Its marble top rested on two scrolled legs. During the reign of Louis XV, console tables were often elaborately crafted and adorned with highly elaborate motifs. Sculptures and reliefs, arched legs and curved fronts… Louis XV console tables […]
Louis XV commode
This is a significant restoration project for this Louis XV commode, originally veneered in rosewood and violet wood. It took me some time to confirm that it was indeed violet wood. This commode has undergone so many restorations that it now contains almost as much rosewood as violet wood. Fortunately, the drawers are still in fairly good condition, and they are definitely violet wood. I therefore conclude that the commode was originally veneered with these two woods. [… ]
compass rose
I'm creating a compass rose from 8mm solid wood, veneered onto 8mm plywood. The rose itself is made of maple, dark walnut, and sipo, while the background is cherry. The frieze and cardinal points are made of sapele, light walnut, and maple. It will be set into a solid walnut parquet floor. Unfortunately, I'm not doing the installation myself… I hope to see the final result and show it to you soon.
Sleep
Restoration of an early 19th-century somno, veneered in Cuban mahogany burl. Let's be honest, previous restorations had done it a disservice. Indeed, the gaps and shrinkage in the wood had been filled with wood filler, then everything was disguised. The result: it was all you could see! But first, a little history. What is a somno? The somno appeared during the Consulate period. It's a small bedside table, round or square, with a closed compartment. Its name comes from the Latin word somnus, meaning sleep. Under the Empire, it […]
Louis XVI commode
Restoration of a Louis XVI period commode from eastern France. It is made of solid oak and fir, veneered with end-grain laburnum, walnut, plum, amaranth, rosewood, palisander, boxwood, and green-stained hornbeam. The handles and keyhole escutcheons were added later. Indeed, the original fittings have disappeared: only the handle holes remain. This is a piece of furniture that has never been restored. Moreover, the veneer is almost 4 mm thick in places. Furthermore, one can see […]
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 […]
Secret box
The brief: to create a multi-moving secret box, inspired by Japanese boxes, but with French-style marquetry. Three movements reveal the secret drawer. A spring-loaded button, hidden beneath the veneer, then ejects it. For the shape and marquetry, I drew inspiration from the traveling secretary attributed to Jean-François Oeben. The geometric forms and colors closely resemble what this cabinetmaker might have used. The box's structure is made of solid beech, with ash wood joints. […]
Majorelle table and rosewood
This is the second time I've worked on this type of table, which came from Louis Majorelle's workshop in the 1920s or 30s. You can find all the information about this type of table at the following link: https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/2019/08/29/table-majorelle/ It's primarily a preventative restoration. In fact, there wasn't any major damage. So, a few grafts and re-gluing a large part of the edge veneer were enough to restore this lovely Rio rosewood table. This is therefore an opportunity to tell you about this wood, which is so […]
Secretary of the Board of Directors
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 form of a shield. The interior has seven drawers, the middle one of which locks. The drop-front closes with a period three-point lock. The lower section has three drawers, onto which Louis XV style pull rings have been added.
Empire Pedestal
Restoration of a side table with walnut legs and frame, veneered in flame mahogany. It rests on three slender columns, adorned with bronze rings and surmounted by a circular top of veined black marble. The restoration consisted of tightening the cracked base, re-gluing the edge veneers, and applying some grafts. I stripped the columns, which were heavily infested with wood-boring insects, and then treated them with static anoxia. Static anoxia is an insecticidal treatment that works by depriving the wood of oxygen and also has an effect on […]
Regency chest of drawers stamped J.BIRCKLE
Restoration of a chest of drawers veneered in Rio rosewood, with satinwood stringing. It opens with two large drawers and, in the upper section, two smaller ones. Its frame is made of oak and fir. It also bears the stamp J.BIRCKLE and the JME hallmark on the left upright. Finally, there are some traces of restoration and an ink mark on one side of a drawer. Jacques Bircklé (1734-1803) – Cabinetmaker – master craftsman obtained on July 30, 1764. One of the suppliers to the Royal Furniture Repository under Louis XVI. Free craftsman […]
Louis XV commode
The commode with a jumping top appears to have been invented during the Regency period, between 1705 and 1730, by the cabinetmaker Charles Cressent. It then became widespread under Louis XV. It has only two drawers, or two rows of drawers. Its body is raised on cabriole legs of medium height: the body occupies half the height of the piece, the legs the other half. The observer thus has the impression that the piece has legs allowing it to jump like a frog. The width offers straight, curved, or crossbow-shaped forms. The marble top follows the […]
Louis XVI/Directory Secretary
Restoration of a drop-front secretary desk with an oak frame, veneered in mottled mahogany and Santo Domingo mahogany. It likely 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 cloverleaf key. Furthermore, brass quarter-round moldings frame all the panels, both on the front and sides. The drop-front is veneered in mottled mahogany […]
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 […]
Louis XV style desk in yellow Saint-Martin veneer
The restorer's trade holds many surprises. There are over 60,000 species of trees in the world. Suffice it to say that even though the same types of wood are often found in French furniture, sometimes you stumble upon something unfamiliar. I found this wood odd. Violet wood? No. Rosewood? Perhaps, but a variety I don't recognize. Okay, I'll strip a section to see the wood's true color. Hey, the varnish was very red: this veneer is made of […]
Jacob Frères bench and armchairs on rue Meslée
Extensive restoration and conservation work has been undertaken on this bench and its four armchairs from the Consulate period, stamped Jacob Frères, rue Meslée. Their front and rear legs are made of solid Cuban mahogany, with veneered crossbars. The armrests, supported by Egyptian heads, are made of light mahogany from Santo Domingo, contrasting with the uprights. They are adorned with carved palmettes and rosettes in Cuban mahogany. The front legs are tapered and end in claw feet, while the rear legs are arched. The bench is a converted sofa. Due to reupholstering […]
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 […]
Hedouin commode with crowned C
Extensive restoration of this superb Louis XV period commode, stamped on all four uprights by Jean-Baptiste Hedouin. The frame and drawers are made of solid oak, fir, and walnut. It is veneered with satinwood for the frieze edges and features geometric marquetry in violet wood. Two types of violet wood are used: one with a very tight grain and veining for the lozenges, the other more intricate for the borders, uprights, and rails. The gray Ardennes marble is molded and shaped into the forms […]
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 half-moon table
Here is a three-tiered half-moon table. This style of table, originating in England, is a classic of the Louis XVI style. It opens to reveal two circular tiers, one lined with felt, the other veneered in mahogany. Its apron, veneered in mahogany burl, is adorned with brass frames. It rests on five tapered legs, fluted and trimmed in brass, ending in sabots. The fifth leg is attached to a drawer: it is pulled out to support the drop leaf when unfolded. A very attractive piece, probably dating from the late 18th century. […]
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 […]
N. PETIT Roll-Top Desk
DIMENSIONS: H.71 W.104 D.52 This roll-top desk perfectly matches those produced by Nicolas Petit's workshop between 1770 and 1791, the year of his death. Indeed, with a few exceptions, Nicolas Petit primarily crafted this type of furniture in molded mahogany, on fluted legs and with white marble tops. Their understated elegance reflected the taste of the period. It features two drawers in the frieze, two pull-out side shelves, and a central shelf that locks when the drop-top is closed. Furthermore, the interior contains two drawers, the one on the right […]
Transitional dresser
Here is a very simple commode from eastern France, probably dating from the late 18th century. Its front is slightly curved and its uprights are chamfered. The bronze mounts are probably not original. The frame is made of solid softwood, the uprights of oak. The drawer bottoms are set in a rebate and slide on the drawer fronts, which is typical of provincial work. A small unusual feature: the commode has no top panel; the marble slab rests directly on the frame. At the level of […]
J.STUMPFF Roll-Top Desk
Restoration and conservation work on this rare Louis XVI period roll-top desk stamped by Jean-Chrysostôme Stumpff (1731 – January 17, 1806), who became a master craftsman on August 27, 1766. Originally from Schweigern, Swabia (Germany), he married in 1760 in Paris, at the Swedish embassy, like most of his compatriots of the Reformed faith. His witness was his fellow cabinetmaker Ferdinand Schwerdfeger. In his workshop on Rue Saint-Nicolas, he produced some Louis XV furniture, but primarily a large number of Transition and Louis XVI pieces. Stumpff's production […]
Napoleon III style Louis XVI work table
Here are some photos of the restoration of a small Louis XVI style work table from the late 19th century. Its legs are made of solid mahogany. Furthermore, its veneer combines rosewood and sapele, with blackened pearwood and boxwood for the fluting and stringing. Nothing too serious for this pretty little piece of furniture: just a few missing veneer patches and a small chip on the oak side of the drawer. A simple restoration: a few veneer grafts glued in place […]
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 XIV style secretary
A brief look back at the making of a Louis XIV style secretary desk in solid oak. The drop-front and drawers are inlaid with cherry and walnut. Finished with a golden oak stain, then varnished.
Cabinet from the late 17th century
Don't be fooled by the Directoire-style keyhole escutcheons on this cabinet: it clearly dates from the late 17th or early 18th century. These escutcheons are obviously not original. In fact, the piece retains few original features, apart from the drawers, the frame, and the base. The veneer on the front, sides, and top has been altered. It's quite evident that the locks have been changed and the original escutcheons filled in. Its frame is made of solid cherry, fir, and poplar. It is veneered with […]
Chest of drawers in the style of the Axe
Here are some photos of the restoration of a solid walnut commode, veneered with thuya burl inlay, with Greek key stringing in amaranth and boxwood. The drawers and the interior and back panels are made of fir. Despite the curved stretcher, its shape, and its feet, this commode is indeed in the Transition style, but from the Louis XVI period. In the title, I wrote "in the style of the Hache family": this commode certainly comes from the Dauphiné region. But that it came from the workshop of the famous family of cabinetmakers […]
Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS
This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS. Its frame is oak, except for the side panels, backs, drawer fronts, and two drawer bottoms, which are made of softwood. It is veneered with rosewood in a butterfly pattern and amaranth for the edges. The false fluting is in boxwood and ebony. A green-stained maple fillet outlines the Greek key corners. A few satinwood additions from previous restorations are visible. The marble top is Sainte-Anne gray. This commode […]
Label signed "Louis David Carré in Paris"«
After several weeks of work, the restoration of this clock is finally complete. It is a Louis XV period clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, with rosewood restorations. The dial is by Louis David Carré, nephew of Julien Le Roy, who became a master craftsman on December 31, 1748. Lodged at the Louvre from 1744, he was elected a juror in 1775. The greatest treasure of this clock lies in its bronze mounts. They are truly magnificent, and above all, they are in very good condition. There is only […]
Secretary stamped P.ROUSSEL JME
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 Charenton, 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 […]
Mazarine Chest of Drawers
Here is a charming Louis XIV period Mazarine commode. With a serpentine front, it opens with three drawers in three rows. Furthermore, a marquetry top featuring a compass rose on an end-grain wood background crowns it. Its fir frame is also veneered with a very fine olive wood veneer, both end-grain and straight-grain, and rosewood. The sides are made of ash, while the stringing and compass rose are boxwood. Finally, the rails are joined with straight dovetail joints on the sides, which has […]
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 […]
Boulle box
To kick off the new year, I'm excited to present my new project. I'm embarking on a replica of this box attributed to André Charles Boulle. You'll be able to follow the progress, and even come see it in person: it will be my main subject for marquetry work at shows and events in the coming years. Yes, I'm talking about several years, because it's an extremely lengthy process. Choosing the Woods: First, I had to find and select the woods for the marquetry. The background […]
Louis XVI style table
Here is a Louis XVI style table, which is probably an early 20th-century piece. It was likely made in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, or perhaps at the École Boulle. I have seen apprentice furniture of this quality made by students during their training. Its frame is oak, while the veneer is rosewood and mahogany with a black inlay. The restoration was straightforward, apart from a lack of rosewood in the marquetry […]
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 […]
Secretary Napoleon III
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 […]
Louis XV slant-front desk (After restoration)
Some time ago, I told you about this desk that was being restored. Well, here it is finished. The varnishing took three weeks, allowing enough time for the varnish to dry properly and achieve the best possible result. To review the restoration process: Louis XV slant-front desk. Here are some before and after photos.
Louis XV slant-front desk
The restoration of a lovely slant-front desk, or as Riesener calls it in his memoirs, a "tomb-shaped secretary," began two weeks ago. Now that the restoration phase is complete and the varnishing has begun, I'm taking a moment to provide a brief summary. Description of the desk: Its frame is made of oak and fir, veneered with rosewood and violet wood. Furthermore, the drop-front features floral marquetry in boxwood, natural and stained maple, and hornbeam. In addition, the desk has a large drawer made of […]
Corner cabinet in Boulle marquetry from the Napoleon III period
A classic restoration of Boulle marquetry: rehydration of the old glue by infiltration, creation and gluing of the missing brass fittings, and reconstruction of the base, which was in poor condition but not beyond repair. Finally, the bronzes were cleaned and a clear French polish was applied. Proof that appearances can be deceiving: even a badly damaged piece of furniture can regain its former beauty.
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…
Secretary stamped Martin Ohneberg
This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI period secretary. Martin Ohneberg (master craftsman in 1773), who created this piece, was an excellent marquetry craftsman. Indeed, he used very high-quality rosewood. Furthermore, he produced numerous pieces of furniture with very simple lines but exquisite marquetry, including an infinite variety of drop-front secretaries. This particular one is veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with a mosaic marquetry of maple florets on a red satinwood ground. Moreover, the framing bands are made of […]
Louis XIII style desk
A look back at the restoration of a 17th-century Louis XIII table. It's made of solid walnut, veneered with walnut, ebony, ivory, and boxwood. It had spent a long time in an attic, and its top unfortunately suffered considerably. Much of the veneer was missing. I first removed what little veneer remained. It was very easy: it was completely detached. All I had to do was lift it with a thin blade and it would come right off. I then re-glued the top, adding material where the […]
The chest of drawers of ingratitude
Cette année, pour la deuxième année consécutive, les Journées du patrimoine permettaient de visiter une partie des réserves et les ateliers de restauration du mobilier national. Ainsi, l’édition 2019 exposait la commode de « l’ingratitude ». Cette commode a d’ailleurs une histoire bien particulière. La Couronne la commande, et elle est livrée le 13 juillet 1789, veille de la prise de la Bastille. Son créateur est l’ébéniste Pierre-François Guignard, reçu maître le 21 janvier 1767. Or, payé par le Garde-Meuble le 13 juillet, il prend dès le lendemain une part […]
Pedestal table with cube marquetry
This week, I restored a lovely pedestal table, made locally with a solid ash base and marquetry of maple, walnut, and plum wood for the bottomless cubes. The restoration wasn't too difficult: I re-glued the loose marquetry pieces, stripped the table, and then French polished it. I used a very interesting new recipe, given by Dessaignes in 1861. I'll present it in a future post.
Louis XIII Cabinet
A look back at a fascinating restoration project (at least for me). So fascinating, in fact, that I forgot to take photos at the beginning! This cabinet dates from the 17th century. Its upper section has two drawers in the cornice and two doors. The base features two drawers in the frieze, supported by eight turned feet, and a top on ball feet. Inside, there are twelve drawers and two doors, which conceal a theater and eleven more drawers. The feet and moldings are made of solid pear wood. The rest of the […]
Majorelle Table
Here is a table in pure Art Deco style. It is veneered with Macassar ebony, and its legs are mahogany. It probably dates from the 1920s. Louis Majorelle is best known as one of the great cabinetmakers of Art Nouveau. It is too often forgotten that he was also one of the forerunners of Art Deco, as this table perfectly demonstrates. As for restoration, as always, the veneer requires the most work: there are gaps, it is peeling… But the most difficult thing on this table is the […]
Transition chest of drawers in the style of Topino
A month ago, a lovely Transition-style commode arrived at the workshop. It reminds me of the work of the cabinetmaker Charles Topino (circa 1742-1803) – who received his master craftsman's certificate on July 4, 1773. But it doesn't bear his stamp, nor any other for that matter. Proof that a piece of high-quality furniture doesn't need a stamp. Its marquetry could very well have come from Topino's workshop. He did, in fact, sell marquetry panels to haberdashers and his colleagues, who used them to adorn their furniture. This commode could therefore be inspired by Topino […]
Louis XV corner cabinet, stamped JM CHEVALLIER (Restoration completed)
Louis XV slant-front desk stamped HEDOUIN (Restoration complete)
Remember that slant-front desk? Well, it's finished. It wasn't easy, but it's regained its former glory. All that's left is to install the drawer locks and the leather before it goes back to its owner. I remade a large part of the legs using sawn kingwood. I cut it to the correct thickness, scraped, sanded, and oxidized it before gluing. That way, there was no need to sand the entire piece of furniture, which would have damaged it even more.
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.
Louis XV slant-front desk stamped HEDOUIN
Thanks to its stamp, this slant-front desk can be dated between 1738 and 1783. Jean-Baptiste Hédouin's life remains relatively unknown. After completing his master craftsmanship, he set up his workshop on Rue Traversière-Saint-Antoine. All his furniture is of high quality. Primarily in the Regency and Louis XV styles, almost all veneered in sheets or with grid patterns, they are also quite varied: wardrobes, flat and slant-front desks, bookcases… But chests of drawers make up the largest part of his production. Most of them adopt the […]
Louis XV corner cabinet, stamped JM CHEVALLIER
Here is a corner cabinet stamped by Jean-Mathieu Chevallier. It is made of solid oak, veneered with rosewood and violet wood, with a boxwood inlay. Jean-Mathieu Chevallier was already established on Rue de Grenelle, under the sign of "La Croix Chevallier," when he received his master craftsman's certificate in 1743. He subsequently expanded his business considerably. He was notably in business with André-Charles Boulle, one of the sons of the famous cabinetmaker. Furthermore, he participated in furnishing the Hôtel du Duc de Talmont and the Château de […]
Louis XVI style games table
This week, a small Louis XVI style games table left the workshop. As you'll see, there wasn't much work to be done. It just goes to show that a simple cleaning, revarnishing, and a fresh coat of leather can breathe new life into a rather dull piece of furniture.
Napoleon III planter and Louis XVI chest of drawers
This week, two pieces of furniture left the workshop: a Napoleon III jardinière in rosewood veneer and a Louis XVI chiffonier in rosewood and violet wood veneer. If this piece had seven drawers, it would have been called a "semainier" (weekly chest of drawers). Here are some photos of their restoration.
Mazarine Chest of Drawers
This week, we're revisiting the restoration of a Louis XIV period commode, a commode known as a Mazarine commode. But where does the name "Mazarine" come from? Well, it seems that the first example was made for the famous Mazarine Library, quite simply. The illustrious creator of the commode was none other than André-Charles Boulle himself. In 1708, for Louis XIV's bedroom at Trianon, he revolutionized a type of furniture: the commode. It owes its name to its practical, "commode" shape, compared to the chests that were so common at the time. Now on display at Versailles, the two […]
Alexandre Morell's Cartel Boulle – The End
After several hours of cutting, gluing, re-gluing, and cleaning the surfaces, we finally reach the finishing stage. I chose to varnish this cartel clock with a French polish. This finish enhances the marquetry, protects it, and remains easily reversible, like all my work. I always use a clear shellac varnish, on wood as well as other materials. The varnishing process is difficult to explain: only hours and hours of practice allow you to acquire all the secrets of this traditional technique. Once […]
It's being talked about in the press!
Here is an article that appeared in Le Perche on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel – Marquetry
I reattached the structure, removed the brass, cleaned up the remaining animal glue, and eliminated the traces of superglue and neoprene adhesive. Next came cutting the new pieces of brass and tortoiseshell to fill the gaps. So, as usual, I took an impression of the missing piece. I then glued this paper onto a brass plate, which was itself glued with fish glue to a 4mm plywood base. This made the plate easier to cut. Retrieving the brass piece is simple: […]
Alexandre Morell's Cartel Boulle – Continued
Once the various structural elements were glued back together, I tackled the tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. As you'll see, on this clock it's in very, very bad condition; practically nothing is holding. So, all the brass has to be removed. The tortoiseshell, however, is holding well; it's only partially detached. The first step in restoring this marquetry is therefore to remove and set aside each brass element. The second is to clean off the old glue, […]
Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel
Here is my first client, or patient… whichever you prefer. It's a Boulle marquetry cartel clock in brown tortoiseshell, ebony, and brass. As the photos show, it's not in very good condition. A lot of the brass is missing, and what remains is peeling off everywhere. At first glance, it's always difficult to precisely date a Boulle cartel clock. Moreover, this one doesn't bear a maker's mark. On the other hand, it has corkscrew screws, typical of the 18th century, and few visible tool marks. Yet, I had a hunch it was a copy […]
The carpenter's household
A drawing by Nicolas Bernard Lépicié, which you can admire at the Museum of Fine Arts in Orléans. Surely a future marquetry project. One can sense the living and working conditions of the men who created these pieces, imbuing them with their expertise and a part of themselves. In this way, they inscribed their lives and their stories within the larger narrative of history. This is the very essence of the restorer's craft. The furniture restorer is merely a custodian of memory. They ensure that the soul of the piece is preserved […]
Polite as he may be
Here's a short but very informative video on polishing, the finishing method I used on the tool cabinet. https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/2019/02/19/armoire-a-outils/
Tool cabinet – End
And there you have it, it's finished and ready to use. All the tools are in their proper place. All that's left is to find bronze fittings for the handles and keyhole escutcheons. For the finishing technique, I used the same one applied to furniture of that period: polishing. I first scraped the surface, then sanded it with 150-grit sandpaper. Next, I applied Venetian tripoli mixed with olive oil using a piece […]
Tool cabinet – The top doors
For these marquetry designs, I consulted Pierre Ramond's book, "André-Charles Boulle, Cabinetmaker, Chaser, and Marquetry Maker to the King." I used the marquetry drawings from the Boulle workshop's cabinet (circa 1715-1720). However, I removed the birds and the butterfly to simplify the design. Furthermore, I partially used the "Boulle" method for the acanthus leaves and the vase. Finally, for the flower bouquets, I chose the technique of painting on wood.
Tool cabinet – Continued
Here are some photos of the marquetry on the tool cabinet. For the corner pieces, I was inspired by those on a table by Pierre Gole, a predecessor and major influence of André-Charles Boulle. For this cabinet, I needed to make 16 corner pieces. So, to save time, I decided to use the Boulle marquetry technique. I made four bundles of different colored woods to obtain four different marquetry designs from a single cut. Therefore, there are four identical designs, but with different flower colors. Then, […]
Tool cabinet – The birds
Here are some pictures of the creation of the birds for the marquetry on the lower doors. I cut them out using a marquetry easel, then inserted them into a background of blackened pear wood. The branches are made of walnut.
Tool cabinet – Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam
I indulged myself with this marquetry project; I had always wanted to recreate this famous marquetry fresco. This allowed me to revisit David Roentgen's "mosaic marquetry" technique. I created a pack with a hornbeam leaf, a sycamore maple leaf, and a pear leaf to make the figures, as pear wood is the best for reproducing skin tones. To tint the background, I dipped it in different baths to produce this effect of […]
Tool cabinet – The sculptor
With this tool cabinet, I wanted to explore and put into practice several avenues I was researching. One of them was to tackle the marquetry technique of a famous 18th-century cabinetmaker, David Roentgen. This "mosaic marquetry" involves cutting a single sheet of veneer using a conical saw. Each piece is then colored by dipping it in a chosen dye. However, there were two difficulties: the conical sawing, which is tricky on 0.6 mm veneer, and the dyeing of the wood. When I make […]
Tool cabinet – Marquetry drawers
I crafted the frame from solid walnut, the panels from poplar, and the doors from plywood. Then, research guided me in choosing the various marquetry motifs. Indeed, Pierre Ramond's books on marquetry, veritable bibles on the subject, greatly inspired me. Furthermore, for the decoration of the interior drawers, I drew inspiration from the "Loves" on Jean-Henri Riesener's "Table of the Muses.".
Tool cabinet
Since the workshop is under renovation, today I'll begin describing the various stages involved in making this tool cabinet. The idea came to me while looking for a way to store all my tools in a single piece of furniture. For the style, I had recently restored a Masarine commode in the style of the HACHE family in Grenoble. When I embark on a personal furniture project, I like to explore new techniques. And I had never before tackled the Louis XIV/Regency style.
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.
Chest of drawers with added brackets, known as the "Mazarine" chest of drawers«
Restoration of a commode with added consoles, commonly but improperly called a "Mazarine commode", from the Regency period, veneered with end-grain olive wood and ash, probably from the Dauphiné.
Louis XIV style commode – Grenoble, first third of the 18th century
Restoration of a Louis XIV Dauphiné commode, veneered in geometric Alpine wood. With a bombé front, it opens with three drawers in three rows. Moreover, its proportions and construction are those of a full-size commode (dovetail joints, intermediate shelves, etc.). The cabinetmaker has masterfully played with contrasts by juxtaposing different wood species. The quality and variety of the woods used in this small piece of furniture are noteworthy. First, olive and olive burl. Then walnut and rosewood for the framing bands, highlighted with double fillets of […]
Louis XVI powder compact stamped Jacob
Restoration of a powder table, or dressing table, from the last quarter of the 18th century, stamped G.JACOB and JME. It opens with two drawers in the frieze. On the top, a white Carrara marble slab is surrounded by an openwork brass gallery. It rests on four tapered legs of solid mahogany, ending in casters. Finally, the solid oak stretchers are veneered with mahogany. Georges Jacob (1739-1814) Georges Jacob was born on July 6, 1739, in Cheny, Yonne, into a family of farmers. At a very young age, he left for Paris. There he […]
8-foot Boulle desk
Here is a restoration carried out earlier this year by Raphaël. It was a long but successful undertaking. In fact, I recently revisited this desk: it has perfectly withstood significant variations in temperature and humidity. The rest of this report is in Raphaël's own handwriting. A "Mazarin" Desk This desk dates from the Louis XIV period. It is covered with Boulle marquetry of brass on a red tortoiseshell ground. Eight console legs support the case; they are connected in groups of four by an X-shaped stretcher. On the front, […]
