antique willliam iv inlaid mother of pearl boulle inkstand c.1830

This is a lovely antique French mother of pearl marquetry and red tortoiseshellBoulleencrier, or inkstand, circa 1830 in date.

The encriercomprises two glass inkwells and a lidded stamp box with a sunken well. The tortoiseshell has been expertly inlaid with a mother of pearl marquetry of foliage and scrolling decoration with ornamental banding, and it standson elegant swept bracket feet..This is a really beautiful object which placed on a lovely desk is sure to attract a lot of attention.
Condition:In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.Dimensions in cm:Height 8 x Width 31 x Depth 24Dimensions in inches:Height 3 inches x Width 1 foot x Depth 9 inches
Our reference: 06805w
André-Charles Boulle (1642 – 1732), was the French cabinetmaker who is generally considered to be the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry. His fame in marquetry led to his name being given to a fashion of inlaying known as Boulle (or in 19th-century Britain, Buhl work).Boulle appears to have been originally a painter, since the first payment to him by the crown of which there is any record (1669) specifies ouvrages de peinture. He was employed for many years at Versailles, where the mirrored walls, the floors of wood mosaic, the inlaid paneling and the marquetery furniture in the Cabinet du Dauphin were regarded as his most remarkable work. These rooms were long since dismantled and their contents dispersed, but Boulle's drawings for the work are in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.His royal commissions were numerous, as we learn both from the Comptes des B timents du Roi and from the correspondence of Louvois. Not only the most magnificent of French monarchs, but foreign princes and the great nobles and financiers of his own country crowded to him with commissions, and the mot of the abbé de Marolles, Boulle y lourne en ovale, has become a stock quotation in the literature of French cabinetmaking.Nacre
also known asmother of pearl, is an organic-inorganiccomposite materialproduced by somemolluscsas an innershelllayer; it is also what makes up the outer coating ofpearls. It is strong, resilient, andiridescent.The outer layer of pearls and the inside layer ofpearl oysterandfreshwater pearl musselshells are made of nacre.Both black and white nacre are and were used fordesignpurposes. They were used as decorative motif used in cabinet making or silversmithing. The natural nacre may be artificially tinted to almost any colour. Nacretesseraemay be cut into shapes andlaminatedto aceramictileormarblebase. The tesserae are hand-placed and closely sandwiched together, creating an irregular mosaic or pattern (such as a weave). The laminated material is typically about 2mm thick. The tesserae are thenlacqueredandpolishedcreating a durable and glossy surface.

Width (cm):

31

Height (cm):

8

Depth (cm):

24

Please note that this price may NOT include delivery charges which the seller may charge extra for.

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Regent Antiques Limited

We are one of the UK's premier furniture dealers and have been trading in London for three decades. We specialise in English and Continental furniture, silver, porcelain, and decorative items both antique and contemporary. We exhibit our collection in classy showrooms in our large warehouse very close to the centre of London.

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