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EXCEPTIONAL LOUIS XIV TORTOISESHELL, BRASS, PIETRE DURE ( hard stone) PEWTER MARQUETRY CHEST PERIOD : Louis XIV, circa 1700. TECHNIQUE: Tortoiseshell, brass, pewter marquetry, mother-of-pearl flowers inlaid with pietre dure (hard stone) DIMENSIONS : height 8 ¾ in width 25 in depth 20 ¾ in The high quality of the marquetry and the exceptional dimensions of this chest let one suppose that it was made for an important person. The SG monogram corresponds to the name of Pierre Seguier (1588-1672), the keeper of the Seals in 1633 and later Chancellor of King Louis XIII in 1635, then again Keeper of the Seals in 1656 for King Louis XIV. DESCRIPTION : A beautiful chest inlaid overall with a tortoiseshell, brass, pewter marquetry representing foliate arabesques, and mother-of-pearl flowers, inlaid with pietre dure (hard stone). We can noticed a delicate engraving of the mothre-in-pearl flowers. BOULLE MARQUETRY : Since the end of XVIth century, Italians inlaid their furniture with pieces of brass, pewter, ivory, mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, to represent light and capricious arabesques. The idea came from moorish craftmen and antique decorators. Tortoiseshell, pewter and brass marquetry was introduced in France in the early XVIIth century. Queen Marie de Médicis and Cardinal Mazarin (King Louis XIV’s Minister) promoted this art in France. It was especially used and improved in the early XVIIIth century by the celebrated cabinetmaker of King Louis XIV, André Charles Boulle (1642-1732). Although he was not the first to veneer furniture with elaborate marquetry of tortoiseshell and metal, he brought the technique to such a level of perfection that it has ever since been named after him. BIBLIOGRAPHY : Comte F. de Salverte, Les Ebénistes du XVIIIe siècle, 6ème édition, F. de Nobele Éditeur, 1975 |
