émile Gallé, Chest Of Drawers "la Berce Des Prés," Unique Art Nouveau Piece, Emile Galle

The only one known to date - 107 x 84 x 63 cm - Signed GALLÉ.

Exceptional chest of drawers, known as the Sauteuse, in ash veneer and carved and stained beech. The suspended body holds two drawers with a marquetry decoration on the front, of Berces des près bordering a marsh with water lilies and a frog. The openwork carved belt repeats the theme of umbellifers. The four corner jambs are carved in the arborescent style of hogweed stems. The top consists of an overhanging scalloped top. The panelled back is executed in walnut.

Important information Until now, only the preparatory drawings of the furniture and some of its details were known, as well as the tracing of the marquetry decoration, all of which is kept at the Musée d'Orsay.

Bibliography : "Gallé Furniture" by A. Duncan and G. de Bartha. Éditions Antique Collectors' Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk, U. K., 2012, page 330.