A FRENCH 19TH CENTURY LOUIS XV ST. MAHOGANY, ROSEWOOD MARQUETRY, GILT-BRONZE AND MARBLE SECRETAIRE À ABATTANT IN THE MANNER OF JOSEPH EMMANUEL ZWEINNER.

The secretaire is raised by elegant lightly scrolled legs with handsome acanthus leaf sabots and delicate ormolu fillets extending along the sides, the arbalest shape frieze is centered by a striking seashell reserve with wonderful pierced foliate movements.

On the upper part is the fall front opening to reveal one long shelf on top of an arrangement of five drawers, the reverse inset with an elegant black leather writing surface, the lower part is composed of two cupboard doors opening to one shelve.

The whole is decorated with beautiful masterfully executed floral marquetry set on a veneered background and framed within a fine interlocking wrap around foliate ormolu border, with the side also displaying decorative quarter veneered panels.

The corner mounts are adorned by impressive richly chased ormolu maidens in a superb satin and burnish finish.

Above is the original and unique Brèche d’Alep marble top with a fine mottled border.

All original gilt throughout.

Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1849-1895) ranks among the best hight end Parisian cabinetmakers of the late 19th century. Born in Herdon, Germany in 1849, he arrived in Paris in 1880 and set up his workshop at 12 rue de la Roquette, where he remained until his death in 1895. At the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, he received the gold medal and a note of high praise from the jurists. The exceptional quality of Zwiener’s craftsmanship and extensive use of fine gilt-bronze are comparable to the work of renowned

Ébéniste François Linke.
Dimensions : 140H x 90L x 42D cm