Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
A late Louis XV marquetry and parquetry table en chiffonnière stamped by Charles Topino, circa 1770
Auction Closed
October 13, 06:27 PM GMT
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
A late Louis XV marquetry and parquetry table en chiffonnière stamped by Charles Topino, circa 1770
gilt-bronze-mounted, green stained sycamore; of circular form with a pierced gilt-bronze gallery cast with diapers intersected with roundels enclosing a five branch rosette, above a vertically striped frieze containing a drawer, interposed by a gilt-bronze patera, on cabriole legs inlaid with bellflowers joined by a galleried circular shelf similarly inlaid to the top, terminating in gilt-bronze scrolled feet; marquetry restored, engraving enhanced; stamped C. Topino
height 31⅓ in.; diameter 17⅓ in; 79,5 cm ; 44 cm.
(1)
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Table en chiffonnière de la fin de l'époque Louis XV en marqueterie de bois de citronnier et sycomore teinté vert et montures de bronze doré, estampillée par Charles Topino, vers 1770
height 31⅓ in.; diameter 17⅓ in; 79,5 cm ; 44 cm.
(1)
Partridge Fine Arts, London;
Sotheby's London, The Dimitri Mavrommatis Collection, 8 July 2008, lot 30.
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Partridge Fine Arts, Londres;
Sotheby's Londres, The Dimitri Mavrommatis Collection, 8 juillet 2008, lot 30.
Jean Nicolay, L'Art et La Manière des Maîtres Ébénistes Français au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 2nd ed. 1982, p. 459, fig. G.
Geoffrey de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, 1974, vol. I, p. 341, n. 67.
The rarity of this elegant and timeless table lies in the marquetry decoration of tinted wood coloured yellow and green evoking the striped cloth in Ottoman fashion and also French straw marquetry. See Nicolay, op. cit., p. 459, fig.G, for a rectangular table by Topino with the same striped parquetry and five branch rosette.
This model of table of circular form with a shelf is also found in many forms and with various decoration, either plain veneered or in bois de bout marquetry by Topino. However, it is also found with this type of marquetry in the repertoire of R.V.L.C., Roger Vandercruse, otherwise known as Lacroix. See for example a table of oval form with a shelf inlaid in an identical manner but stamped R.V.L.C. in the Musée Cognacq-Jay, illustrated by Néto, op. cit., p. 77, no. 26.
Finally it is worthwhile considering the secrétaire by R.V.L.C. in the Waddesdon collection, illustrated by de Bellaigue op. cit., p. 341, no. 67, with identical striped marquetry on the drawers and bellflowers on the stiles to that upon this table.
The rosettes on the top and stretcher can be found on another table by Topino sold Sotheby Park Bernet, New York, 19th April 1969, lot 185 and on a table en chiffonière signed Topino, sold Sotheby's New York, 31st October 1981, lot 389.
Charles Topino (1742-1803), received master 1773:
Charles Topino was established at the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and among his clientele were members of the aristocracy and the marchands-ébénistes including Delorme and Tuart. His pieces were described as being 'à l'antique' which was the expression for taste devoted to neoclassical ideas in the late 18th century. His daybook covering the years between 1771 and 1779 has survived and documents, for example, the names of the bronziers who supplied him, amongst them Jean-Baptiste Dubuisson, maître-fondeur in 1765, who delivered the finest mounts in this period. It is known that the gilt-bronze mounts with which Topino embellished his furniture were cast by Viret, chased by Chamboin and Dubuisson and gilded by Bécard, Gérard and Vallet.