A gilt-bronze-mounted green-stained sycamore and marquetry table en chiffonnière by Martin Carlin (not stamped) and probably supplied by Dominique Daguerre Louis XVI, circa 1780-85

of circular form, the top with a pierced gallery and egg-and-dart border centred by a foliate medallion within a scrolling foliate arabesque border, the frieze with a waved ribbon motif enclosing bellflowers within foliate gilt-bronze panels, interposed by a gilt-bronze patera within a roundel, with a frieze drawer, on squared supports applied with ribbon-tied fruiting trails, on cabriole legs, mounted with acanthus leaves, joined by a galleried shelf inlaid with foliate arabesques, on lion-paw sabots and wooden castors

Sold from the Alexander Collection, Important French Furniture, Gold Boxes and Porcelain, Christie's, New York, 30th April 1999, lot 150.

Good colour match with catalogue illustration. Some very minor restorations to veneer as visible from catalogue illustration. Very attractive detail to marquetry. Very good quality gilt-bronzes with original gilding. In overall excellent condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Daniel Alcouffe, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Volume I, Dijon, 1993, pp. 228-229.
C. Fregnac and J. Wilhelm, Belles Demeures de Paris, 16^th-19^th siècle, Hachette, 1997, p. 74.
A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Revolution, Paris, 1989, p.359, figs 427and 429.
Robert R. Wark, French Decorative Art in the Huntington Collection, San Marino, California, 1962, no's, 64, 65, 66.
F.J.B.Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, Volume I, New York, 1966, pp. 282-283 and 284.

This almost jewel-like table of dainty proportions with finely cast and chased gilt-bronze mounts is part of a group of similar tables with variations, many of which are stamped by Carlin which he made for the marchands-merciers, Poirier and Daguerre, some of which have porcelain tops or are mounted with porcelain placques.

The design of the marquetry used rather unusually abstract arabesques or geometric motifs rather than flowers, as seen on thepresent table. Following Carlin's death in 1785, in the  inventory drawn up with both Leleu and Nicolas Petit there are recorded: `Trois tables rondes et une ovale à entrejambes et tablettes entre les pieds plaquées en marqueterie, garnie de leurs bronzes sans être dorées, estimées les quatres ensemble à quatre cents livres'. The name of the ciseleur-doreur S. Prevost is also mentioned, ` pour ouvrages de sa profession par lui faites pour le dit sieur Carlin 6791', and it is a possibility, therefore, that the latter may have been responsible for the gilt-bronze mounts on this table.

It is worthwhile comparing the following related table-chiffonnières by Carlin in major collections:

1. A virtually identical table with identical marquetry on the frieze, the shelf inlaid with arabesques and identical frieze mounts on the supports, legs and feet, with an added feature of a Sèvres plaque, was recorded in the collection of Baron Guy de Rothschild at the Hôtel Lambert Paris, illustrated by C. Fregnac and J. Wilhelm, op. cit., p. 74, and reproduced here in fig.1.

2. A table of almost identical form stamped by Carlin with the mark of the Palace of Pavlovsk almost certainly purchased by the Grand Duchess Maria Fydorovna during or after her stay in Paris in 1782, but veneered with dot-trellis parquetry and with a Sèvres porcelain top, is illustrated by Pradère op. cit., p. 359, fig. 429 and reproduced here in fig. 2.

3.  A table in the Louvre of similar form stamped Carlin with a porcelain top and mounted with porcelain plaques on the frieze , illustrated by  Alcouffe op. cit, p. 228, no. 69, and another also stamped by the same maker, with a marquetry top and mounted with porcelain plaques on the frieze, illustrated op. cit., p. 229, no.70, the latter is reproduced here in fig. 4.

4. A table stamped Carlin, with a porcelain top and inset plaque on the stretcher, in the Wrighstman collection, illustrated by Watson, op. cit., p. 283.

Also see Watson op. cit, p. 284, for a watercolour design for a related table attributed to R. Lalonde (active before 1788-after 1806), probably for the purposes of advertising for the marchand-mercier Daguerre circa 1770-1785 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Raphael Esmerian, 59.611.8). The design would appear to be for the table in the Wrightsman collection, no. 143, p. 285, which is stamped Carlin. This watercolour illustrates the inspiration for these tables by Carlin which are generally in the same form with paterae on the frieze, squared supports, cabriole legs joined by an undertier and paw feet and is reproduced here in fig. 3.

It is also worthwhile considering two guéridon tables together with a secrétaire and commode by Carlin, with the marquetry arabesques conceived in a similar fashion to those upon this table:

- A guéridon attributed to Carlin with a porcelain-mounted top with an undertier veneered with arabesques conceived in a similar fashion to those on this table, formerly in the collection of Alphonse de Rothschild, sold as lot 18, Sotheby's, Monaco, 21^st May 1978, reproduced here in fig. 5.

- A porcelain-mounted guéridon, with a Sèvres plaque and arabesque inlay on the undertier stamped by both Carlin and Pafrat but probably finished by the latter on Carlin's death, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, illustrated by Pradère op. cit., p. 359, fig. 427,  reproduced here in fig. 6.

-a secrétaire and matching commode in the Huntington Collection, illustrated by R. Wark, op. cit.,  figs.64-6, p.84-5.

Martin Carlin received Master in 1766:
Martin Carlin, the most celebrated ébéniste of the Louis XVI period, was born in 1730 and of German origin. In 1759, he married J.-F. Oeben's sister, Marie-Catherine Oeben. In 1763, Carlin was established at the sign of the Saint-Esprit in the Grand-Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. In addition to working for  the marchand-mercier Darnault, his main customer at the time was Dominique Daguerre and in his personal papers, was a ledger containing a record of work done for him amounting to 3,117  livres 8 sols. Carlin worked principally for dealers and initially he was employed by Daguerre's predecessor, Simon-Philippe Poirier the renowned marchand-mercier.

Carlin worked presumably to designs submitted to him and his stock included `deux planches pour marquer les plans'-he supplied the marchands-merciers  with many pieces of furniture mounted with plaques of Sèvres porcelain and also much of his furniture was embellished with lacquer panels. According to Watson op. cit., p. 867, ` The French Crown and the most fastidious of eighteenth –century patrons acquired furniture by Carlin through these dealers'.    
For other pieces by Carlin and further informattion on this maker see lots 32 and 47.