Louis XVI Archives • Ébénisterie Mathieu Vath

Louis XVI secretary stamped Schlichtig

July 1, 2026August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, secretary, Louis XVI style, French polish, 18th century

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

Louis XVI psyche mirror Weisweiler

June 17, 2026August 21, 2026 Mathieu Vathmahogany, directory, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, psyche, furniture restoration, 18th century

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 […]

Louis XVI commode stamped JL Cosson

December 23, 2025August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathrosewood, convenient, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, 18th century

This Louis XVI period half-moon commode, stamped by the cabinetmaker Jacques Laurent Cosson, likely dates from a production between 1780 and 1790. It is an exceptional example of painted furniture from the end of the Ancien Régime, belonging to a very small group of which only seven examples are currently known. This small and highly sought-after group of 18th-century French painted furniture is now recognized as one of the most inventive areas of Parisian cabinetmaking on the eve of the Revolution. This commode, with its curved, half-moon shape, rests […]

Louis XVI chest of drawers by Jean-Francois Leleu

October 15, 2025August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, convenient, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, 18th century

Restoration of a Louis XVI period commode with a projecting central front, stamped JF LELEU. Made entirely of oak, it is veneered with amaranth, rosewood, boxwood, stained maple burl, and tobacco-grey maple. It is decorated with marquetry featuring a frieze of posts on the top drawer, Greek key motifs, and fleurons within a mosaic of hexagons known as "marquetry à la reine" on the central projection. It has three drawers, two of which conceal drawers with crossbars. The front uprights are […]

Louis XVI powder compact stamped Jacob

October 2, 2025August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Jacob, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, 18th century

Restoration of a powder table, also called a dressing table, from the last quarter of the 18th century and stamped G.JACOB and JME. Opening with two drawers in the frieze, it is surmounted by a white Carrara marble top surrounded by an openwork brass gallery. The whole rests on four tapered legs of solid mahogany ending in sabots with integrated casters. The solid oak stretchers are veneered in mahogany. Georges Jacob (1739-1814) Georges Jacob, born on July 6, 1739, in Cheny, Yonne, came from a family of peasants. From a very young age, […]

Louis XVI secretary stamped Ohneberg

May 9, 2025August 22, 2026 Mathieu VathVeneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, satin, secretary, Louis XVI style, 18th century

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

Louis XVI Weekly Planner

November 15, 2024August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, satin

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 is a piece of furniture that appeared in the mid-18th century, 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, designed to store the day's clean undergarments. The restoration...

Louis XVI commode stamped J. LAPIE

November 7, 2024August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, Vacuum bonding, convenient, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, furniture restoration

Restoration by Lise, during her internship at the workshop, of a Louis XVI commode stamped by Jean Lapie, constructed of oak, fir, and beech, veneered in rosewood with hornbeam and amaranth stringing, and adorned with gilt bronze mounts. And since Lise submitted an excellent internship report, I am 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, he obtained his master's degree in Paris […]

VASSOU stamped chest of drawers

June 13, 2024August 22, 2026 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration

Restoration of a Louis XVI period chiffonier table in mahogany veneer and solid mahogany on oak and softwood frames, stamped by Jean-Baptiste VASSOU (1739-1807). A beautifully crafted piece with fine 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). Then, in 1763, in the post-December inventory of Jean-François Oeben, we find mention of a "frame of a […]

Small chest of drawers from La Rochelle

December 8, 2022December 9, 2022 Mathieu VathSolid Wood, convenient, furniture restoration, satin, 18th century

Here is the restoration of a small Louis XV commode in solid satinwood and ribboned satinwood. It is curved on all sides, including the back, and opens with three drawers in the front, as well as a pull-out candle holder at the back. La Rochelle, 18th century. Its top, molded with a corbel edge highlighted by a cavetto molding, is made of ribboned satinwood, which is also found on the front and sides, while the base is made of fine satinwood punctuated with so-called "snail" feet ending in split goatskin feet. Note the unusual proportions but especially the curves […]

Louis XVI writing table

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Desk, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, 18th century

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.

Louis XVI secretary stamped Montigny

November 3, 2022July 1, 2026 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, 18th century

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 XVI commode stamped JB.Tuart

April 8, 2022April 8, 2022 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, Vacuum bonding, convenient, conservation, stamp, Louis XVI, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, 18th century

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. From a dynasty of Parisian cabinetmakers and merchants, whose father, Jean-Baptiste I, obtained his master's certificate in 1741 and was active until around 1760, Jean-Baptiste II, born around 1720, was not a master cabinetmaker but a master furniture maker and haberdasher […]

Louis XVI planter

April 2, 2022April 7, 2022 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style

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/

Louis XVI Molitor Console

July 3, 2021July 4, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Bronzes, Vacuum bonding, console, stamp, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry

Restoration of a Louis XVI console table (1790-1795) stamped by Bernard Molitor. The structure is made of oak and solid mahogany for the legs. 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. He arrived in Paris in 1776 and worked in a small workshop located in the Arsenal district. It was after obtaining his master's certificate that he established himself on the rue de Bourbon-Saint-Germain. The austerity […]

Barber shop Louis XVI/Directory

March 27, 2021May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, barber, directory, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, French polish, 18th century

This elegant mahogany-veneered shaving cabinet from the late 18th century rests on four tapered legs with casters and opens with three drawers in the front. The niche, with its blue Turquin marble top framed by fluted columns, is surmounted by two side drawers and a sliding marble shelf with a recessed panel that reveals a sliding mirror on a rack and pinion mechanism, pivoting and framed with ebony and brass stringing. Appearing during the reign of Louis XVI, this style of shaving cabinet is a toilet unit designed to hold a porcelain pitcher and basin […]

Louis XVI commode

February 6, 2021May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, oak, convenient, graft, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style, French polish, 18th century

Restoration of a Louis XVI period commode from eastern France, made of solid oak and fir and veneered with end-grain laburnum, walnut, plum, amaranth, rosewood, palisander, boxwood, and green-stained hornbeam. The handles and keyholes were added at a later date. The original fittings are missing; only the holes for the handles remain. This is a piece of furniture that has never been restored. The veneer is almost 4 mm thick in some places, and […]

Louis XVI/Directory Secretary

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

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

Louis XVI half-moon table

July 17, 2020June 11, 2022 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Veneering - Marquetry, Louis XVI style, half-moon table, French polish, 18th century

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. The mahogany burl veneer apron is adorned with a brass frame. It rests on five tapered legs with brass-filled fluting and ending in sabots. The fifth leg is attached to a drawer that opens to serve as a support once the flap is unfolded. A very attractive piece, probably dating from the end of the […]

N. PETIT Roll-Top Desk

July 7, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Solid Wood, Bronzes, Desk, cylinder desk, Nicolas Petit, furniture restoration

DIMENSIONS: H.71 W.104 D.52 This roll-top desk perfectly matches those made by Nicolas Petit's workshop between 1770 and 1791, the year of his death. Indeed, with a few exceptions, Nicolas Petit primarily produced this type of secretary in molded mahogany, resting on fluted legs and topped with white marble. Simple in style, they reflected the taste of the period. It comprises two drawers in the frieze, two side pull-out shelves, and a central pull-out shelf that locks when the drop-front is closed. The interior consists of […]

Louis XVI style table

January 4, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, rosewood, graft, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style

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 […]

The chest of drawers of ingratitude

September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Mathieu Vathconvenient, stamp, Uncategorized, Louis XVI style

This year, during Heritage Days, it was possible, for the second year in a row, to visit part of the reserves and the restoration workshops of the national furniture collection. For this 2019 edition, the commode known as "The Ingratitude Commode" was on display. This commode has a very particular history: commissioned for the crown, it was delivered on July 13, 1789, the day before the storming of the Bastille. Its creator, the cabinetmaker Pierre François Guignard, who became a master on January 21, 1767, received payment from the furniture repository on the 13th […]