Mahogany Reading Table

Mahogany and mahogany veneer reading table made by a cabinetmaker familiar with the work of Joseph Gegenbach dit Canabas. Louis XVI period, in the 1780s. Dim. (H x W x D): 69 x 118 x 53 cm. The reading table has a bean or kidney-shaped top. In the center, a zipper pushing an iron mechanism releases the reading light upholstered in fawn morocco. The same system releases the two mahogany-veneered side compartments. The piece of furniture rests on an openwork lyre base whose two legs are joined by a spacer. The legs end with mahogany and gilt bronze wheels. This makes it possible to move this flying piece of furniture close to a light source as desired. In the style of Canabas This charming table-reader is similar to Canabas' creations. This cabinetmaker, following his stay in Great Britain, had returned to France with new forms inspired by English and Chinese fashions, and mahogany as the material of choice. Throughout his career, Canabas executed similar furniture, either without bronze ornamentation, or with bronzes placed sparingly. Following him or in a contemporary way, many cabinetmakers working in noble mahogany had copied and followed his models which remained fashionable until the dawn of the 19th century by the purity of their neoclassical line.