A gilt-bronze-mounted Japanese lacquer, ebony and ebonised secrétaire à abattant, stamped G. Beneman Louis XVI, circa 1785

the white marble top with canted corners above a frieze drawer mounted with entrelac mounts, above a fall-front decorated with a Japanese coastal landscape panel within an egg-and-dart border opening to reveal a fitted interior with six small ebony veneered drawers and a leather-lined writing surface, above a pair of cupboard doors each decorated with a vase of flowers enclosing two shelves, raised on toupie feet, with brass stop-fluted canted corners and panelled sides enclosing further Japanese lacquer panels, the top left drawer stamped in green ink 45420 with later green baize

With A.R. Ball, London;
Purchased from the above in 1947 by French and Company, New York, who subsequently sold it on 3rd December 1948 to Mrs. Joseph Heine, New York (probably with its twin by Levasseur)
Christie's, New York, 18th May 1989, lot 116, sold as The Property of a New York Estate
Sold as lot 145, Christie's, London, 13th June 2002

Old very minor marks to the marble top commensurate with age. Very attractive detail to mounts and the lacquer panels, which are in generally very good order. The two upper panels on the sides are slightly warped and show evidence of previous restorations to vertical cracks which have been well executed.The top right drawer internally has a pine as opposed to an oak base compared to the other drawers and is possibly a later replacement. The keyholes show evidence of previous mounts and therefore may well have been replaced. 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:
Jonathan Bourne et.al., Lacquer, An International History and Collector's Guide, Wiltshire, 1984, pp. 92.

Lacquer was a great novelty in Europe and was widely sought after by the wealthy to adorn their houses and palaces. A flourishing trade began in the first decade of the 17th century between Japan and the West based at the port of Nagasaki. However,  Kyoto was the centre for the production of lacquer wares for export. It was a feature in the 18th century to embellish French pieces with lacquer panels from Japanese 17th century export cabinets decorated in hiramaki-e and e-nashiji (black and gilt). Japanese lacquer was held in higher regard and was much more expensive than Chinese lacquer. It was utilised on neo-classical furniture of the Louis XVI period and was eminently suitable as it combined elegance and sparsity of design with superlative quality.

When this piece was with French and Company in 1948, it was with its pair by Etienne Levasseur which is almost certainly the one illustrated by Alexandre Pradère, French Furniture Makers, Tours, 1989, p. 316, fig. 359. The fact that there exists two identical secrétaires made by two different ébénistes would seem to indicate that the commission came from a marchand-mercier.

Guillaume Beneman, maître in 1785:
Like so many of his fellow ébénistes, Beneman was born and trained in Germany.  As Ébéniste de la Couronne, he worked almost exclusively for the Crown from 1786-1792, up until 1788 under the directorship of Jean Hauré and then later under Thierry de Ville d'Avray. His early work involved considerable transformations and the updating of existing pieces in line with the spirit of the economy at the time, such as introducing exotic lacquer panels into furniture as on the present piece. It is known that he worked with Weisweiler, (they both employed similar mounts) and was used by the Garde-Meuble as an alternative source to Daguerre's supply.  His commissions included pieces for Versailles, Saint-Cloud and the Tuileries. He was one of the leading artists to introduce the rigid and pure outlines of the style neo-classique that was to predominate under the Consulat and Empire.