A Louis XVI ormolu-mounted kingwood, amaranth, sycamore, fruitwood marquetry and parquetry secrétaire à abattant circa 1770

Christopher Buckley, "A Passion for French Style," Architectural Digest, October, 1986, p. 152

Marble top with restored break and small chips to corners. Scattered age and construciton cracks, dents and abrasions. Veneer and marquetry with scattered cracks; most to fall front and to sides. Scattered minor losses and some restorations to inlay. Some light buckling to veneer in areasof right side; not extensive. Ormolu mounts with some rubbing, light oxidation and surface dirt in areas; not extensive. Leather inlay probably later and now with some cracks. One drawer pull of interior detached but present.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This secrétaire à abattant can be attributed to one of the two celebrated ébénistes; Jean-François Oeben or Roger Vandercruse. Besides the precise craftsmanship and execution of the marquetry and parquetry, the high quality of the ormolu mounts, the wide variety of exotic woods used and the attention to details, certain design elements link this piece to these two masters. The floral marquetry with its realistic execution and shading of the individual flowers and the meandering parquetry outline of the reserves of the fall front, the lower doors and the side are all trademarks of Oeben. The apron mount of this lot is identical to those used by Oeben on many of his other pieces while the ormolu guttae are highly similar to comparable types of mounts preferred by Oeben. The ormolu plaques of the feet on this lot appear on works by both Oeben and RVLC. The marquetry guilloche in the frieze of this piece closely corresponds with RVLC's highly comparable and much-used ornamentation executed entirely in ormolu on his commodes and secrétaires.