A Sèvres porcelain-mounted gilt-bronze inkstand, probably supplied by the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier the porcelain circa 1765-75, the mounts Louis XVI, circa 1775

of shaped rectangular form, inset with rectangular plaques painted with floral arrangements surrounded by a green and gilt border, the gilt-bronze canted angles chased with acanthus leaves and husks, the top inset with an gilt-bronze tray flanked by inkpot and pounce pot and pen-tray, the oak carcass bearing the inscription in ink 'n 10'; inkwell and sander covers missing

Jacob Stodel Antiques, London and Amsterdam, 1984, illustrated Apollo June 1984, p. 75 

Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, London, 1984

The porcelain plaques: There is a minor chip to the edge of the larger rectangular panel on one side, approx. 1mm. by 1mm., visible in photograph. Some small areas of wear to the gilding on the same panel. One of the smaller rectangular panels at one end has an area of wear to the gilding, approx. 0.5cm. by 0.25cm. Very minor wear to the gilding on the other porcelain panels. The central square panel at one end has a slightly more blue ground and may be a replacement although the painting does appear to be contemporary with the other panels. Later section of wood below the receptacles where there has been some minor resoldering to the sander. The gilt-metal trays have some old very minor marks and dents commensurate with age and normal usage. The feet have been reblocked. The plaques are very nicely painted. In overall very good 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:
Peter Hughes, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Furniture, vol. II, London, 1996, p. 1044-45 no. 205 (F286).
Svend Eriksen, Early Neo-Classicism, London, 1974, p. 360
Madame Du Barry de Versailles à Louvenciennes, exhibition catalogue, 21st March–29th June, 1992, p. 37.
Pierre Verlet, Objets montés, Paris, 2000, p. 93.

The present inkstand belongs to a well identified group of gilt-bronze-mounted Sèvres porcelain inkstands which can easily be attributed to the designs of the celebrated Parisian marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier, who was known for mounting porcelain plaques onto furniture.

There is archival evidence supporting the delivery of porcelain plaques to Poirier and although it is difficult to ascertain definitively whether the plaques on the offered inkstand originated from the Sèvres manufacture, it is known that Poirier purchased forty-two pieces from the manufacture, as is evident from a sale record of 1764 (Eriksen, op. cit. p. 361). This inkstand belongs to a group some of which are in Museums and distinguished Private collections as detailed below.

Rosalind Savill of the Wallace collection, op. cit., p. 1045, suggests that the plaques on the related Wallace inkstand ( F286), reproduced here in fig.1, with identical mounts to those on this one and similar porcelain plaques with flowers on a green ground, maybe the `twelve' plaques with a green ground purchased by Poirier between October and December  1762; two cost 18 livres each and ten 9 livres each. She concludes that the Wallace inkstand is probably one of the earliest examples of Poirier mounting plaques `d' éscritoire' as they termed from July 1764 onwards. It is also stated that the inkstand was `presumably designed before Poirier ordered the plaques from Sèvres' and it must count as an early example of a fully neo-classical shape. ' Poirier does not appear to have retained a monopoly on this design, as his arch rival Grancher is known to have produced two examples mounted with tôle peinte plaques and another example is known  to exist in tortoiseshell veneer.'
Savill lists ten known inkstands with porcelain plaques, four of them with dates ranging from 1761-8. Three of the ten also have bun feet under the corners and one has lion-paw feet handles on each end and finials at each corner:

A virtually identical one  was delivered by Simon-Philippe Poirier to Madame Du Barry  and dated 1765, for the Galerie de Louveciennes
`une ecritoire de porcelaine de France fond vert a fleurs et monté en bronze doré d'or moulu. 360 livres' cet encrier fut a Louveciennes,' and during the Revolution is described as `un ecritoire a trois compartments sur chaque face en porcelaine a bouquets en caris or et vert garni en or... 120( Livres).(Madame Du Barry, op. cit. p. 37) and it is one of three now preserved in the Rothschild collection at Waddesdon Manor, illustrated in the catalogue  Madame du Barry, op. cit., p. 37, reproduced here in fig. 2.

Other related inkstands sold at auction include:
-lot 24 at Christie's London, 24^th June 1971, formerly belonging to Maria Feodorovna, Empress of Russia (1759-1828), formerly in the Imperial Palace of Pavlovsk.
-lot 122, from the Collection of Monsieur Akram Ojjeh, sold Sotheby' Parke Bernet, Monaco, 25th-26th June 1979, which was  formerly in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch, then sold Christie's, London, 31st October 1946, lot 26, subsequently belonging to the Wildenstein family. It had similarly painted floral  sprays on a green ground. 
-lot 65, sold in these Rooms, 7th December 1979, subsequently sold as  lot 3179, Sotheby's Monaco, 24th June 1984, from a Munich collector, which was decorated with wreaths enclosing florals sprays on a turquoise ground, the plaques dated for 1768 and with the painter's mark SS for Catrice (1757-74).
-lot 37, Christie's, New York, 9th May 1985, with very similarly painted floral sprays on an apple green ground.
-lot 23, Christie's, London, 1986, painted with flowers and cherubs on a turquoise ground.