Important secrétaire à abattant d'époque Louis XVI estampillé Léonard Boudin et attribué à André-Louis Gilbert, en vernis Martin à l'imitation de la laque de Chine, bois de violette, amarante et bois noirci, ornementation de bronze ciselé et doré, circa 1775

An important Louis XVI ormolu-mounted polychrome-decorated vernis Martin, kingwood, amaranth and ebonised secrétaire à abattant stamped by Léonard Boudin and attributed to André-Louis Gilbert, circa 1775

The vernis attributed to the Martin frères, decorated overall with chinoiserie panelled scenes, the white-veined rouge griotte marble top above frieze drawer mounted with beaded flutes and entrelac repoussé moulding, the fall-front depicting a courtly chinoiserie scene with elegant figures in a terraced garden with children playing, within an interlacing motif encadrement with cut-corners and with flowerhead motifs to the angles, enclosing an interior fitted with four pigeon holes and six small drawers, the lower right one with inkwell compartments, lacking implements, the writing surface lined in green leather, the canted sides surmounted by upswept acanthus chutes, above two doors decorated with a temple in a garden with a Chinese pheasant, the interior fitted with one shelf, the spreading sides with further panels depicting various garden scenes, on bracket feet, stamped 'L.BOUDIN' and 'JME' to the upper carcase, restorations, 98cm wide x 42cm deep x 143cm high, (38 1/2in wide x 16 1/2in deep x 56in high)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Acquired at Pietro Accorsi, Turin, 11 December 1958;
Thence by descent to present vendor.

Léonard Boudin, maître ébéniste in 1761.
André-Louis Gilbert, maître ébéniste in 1774.

This secrétaire à abattant is closely related to an almost identical secrétaire as well stamped by Léonard Boudin, acquired by Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt., in October 1924 from L. Kraemer (for FF 100.000) for the library of his London residence at 25 Park Lane, W1. This near pair to our secrétaire was later on moved to the family residence Houghton Hall, Norfolk, and subsequently sold by the Cholmondeley family, Works of Art from Houghton, Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 74 (sold £177.500 incl. buyers premium) (see T. Wolvesperges, Le Meuble Français en Laque au XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1999, p.239, ill.118).

Interestingly, the almost identical Houghton secrétaire à abattant bears a trade marchand's label of 'FILAINE ET COMPAGNIE MARCHANDS' dated 23 May 1776. It is therefore safe to assume that the manufacture date of both secrétaires was 1775. The inventory after the death of Madame Boudin in 1777 records that Monsieur Filaine (marchand) owed Boudin 12.578 livres for supplying furniture. The August 1775 bill remained outstanding, but was finally settled by Filaine in 1776 (see P. Lemonnier, 'Boudin ébéniste et marchand', L'Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, June 1989, pp. 38-42).

Interestingly, Lemonnier reveals in the 1994 Christie's Houghton sale catalogue that the same 1777 inventory mentions two other secrétaires à abattant, one of which could possibly be the one here offered:

Deux autres secrétaires de trois pieds chacun dont un de bois de rose et l'autre en vernis noir de Paris sans aucune garniture 144 livres....

We learn as well that Boudin employed the Parisian Frères Martin celebrated vernisseurs, who were specifically working au goût de la Chine. As from the ormolu mounts, it has been suggested that the fine and rich gilt-bronze decoration on our secrétaire and equally the Houghton one featuring the exact same mounts, could have been executed by the famous bronzier André Ravrio, as Boudin owed him no less than 1.004 livres in 1777, and 2.700 livres in 1778. Both the ciseleur Mayeux and the doreur Labbé were also on the accounting books of Boudin.


Léonard Boudin, 1735-1807

Léonard Boudin is recorded to have been one of the most prolific ébénistes of the Transitional period in Paris. The son of a compagnon-tabletier, Boudin started his career by working for the marchand-ébéniste Migeon by producing floral marquetry furniture and japanned furniture decorated à la façon des laques de Chine. Boudin got his maîtrise in March 1761. As his notoriety grew, established confrères ébénistes, such as Louis Moreau and Gérard Péridiez, in turn commissioned Boudin to execute furniture for them. Due to his talent, Boudin quickly became a marchand-mercier and established himself in the early 1770's. Such was his success that he soon relied on the help of other ébénistes working for him on special commissions. His main patrons included la Duchesse d'Arenberg and the duc de Duras. Boudin's business however got financially a bit out of control, as by 1777 his debts amounted to the sum of 248.340 livres, while his assets did not exceed 10.000 livres. Nevertheless, Boudin was a successful marchand-ébéniste and favoured large commissions because of his network of confrères ébénistes working for him when needed. He employed both Denizot, Topino, Foullet and most of all André-Louis Gilbert. Many pieces stamped by both Gilbert and Boudin exist, where Gilbert would have produced the carcase, and Boudin would have retailed it to his private clients or other marchands.
A Louis XVI marquetry secétaire à abattant stamped by both Boudin and Gilbert from the Collection of the Late Maria Angiolillo, was sold Christie's London, 15 July 2010, lot 666. However, very often, Boudin decided to stamp with his name only the production he commissioned to other confrères ébénistes. While André-Louis Gilbert was more specialized in architectural marquetry furniture, a Louis XVI secrétaire à abattant sold at auction in Versailles on 14 November 1976, stamped both Boudin and Gilbert, and effectively depicting three-dimensional architectural marquetry panels features the exact same ormolu-mounts as the ones on our secrétaire à abattant (see P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1998, illustrated p.358, fig.A).
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: W
W Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location.

The secretaire à abattant is in relatively good condition but of course with a lot of wear and damage to the original Vernis Martin decoration.
There are the expected marks, scratches and dents consistent with age and normal wear. The marble top is in relatively good condition with just a few dents and conssitent minor losses to the exposed areas. The lacquered panels have suffered to some extent, there is staining, some retouching to the decoration and some repainting as well, furthermore some originally lighter coloured areas as the sky has considerably darkened. There are some losses and flaking to the lacquered decoration overall, mainly to the left side on the fall-front, to the left and right sides of the lower doors and to a lesser extent to the side panels. There are a few shrinkage cracks visible here and there. The gilt-bronze mounts, chutes, encadrements and flowerhead motives, all slightly rubbed and tarnished with some remains of vert-de-gris in areas. The interior of the secretaire in relatively good condition despite a minor veneer loss to the edge of a small drawer. Furthermore the locking device slightly amended to the upper side of the fall-front, originally with a lock mechanism which has now been amended.
We can however recommend this rare and 'untouched' example of vernis Martin decorated secretaire à abattant, which will certainly improve with some attention.