Tomb Chest Of Drawers Louis Delaitre Stamp Bronzes With Crowned “c” 18th Century

Louis XV period chest of drawers known as a tombeau in violet wood veneer inlaid with friezes, stamped twice under the marble by the Parisian cabinetmaker Louis Delaitre. It opens with five drawers on three rows, the central drawer of the upper row opening with a hidden pull and spring system making it a secret drawer. Note the strongly curved lines on the front and sides, as well as the animated shapes of the drawer uprights following the curve of the chest of drawers. Rich decoration of original bronzes hallmarked with a crowned "C". Original gilding. This chest of drawers is topped with its original gray marble, molded in a bec de corbin. This marble has been restored (see photo). This piece of furniture of high quality of execution comes from the cabinetmaking workshop where it was revarnished with a French stamp. Width 135 cm, depth 66 cm, height 86 cm. Louis Delaitre, a cabinetmaker in Paris, who was granted the title of Master on November 19, 1738, had the dual reputation of being an excellent cabinetmaker and a violent and vindictive man. As a craftsman, he produced, until the 1750s, in his workshop on rue Saint-Nicolas, furniture in the early Louis XV style, or even in the full Régence period. These were mainly tomb-style commodes, sloping desks, and pedestal dressing tables, veneered with rosewood, kingwood, sometimes satinwood, and more rarely with floral marquetry. Delaitre also stamped furniture in copper and tortoiseshell marquetry in the style of Boulle. He supplied furniture to several renowned dealers, including his colleague Migeon. Bibliography: French Furniture of the 18th Century - Pierre Kjellberg - Les Editions de l'Amateur - 2008 Cabinetmakers of the 18th Century - Comte François de Salverte - Les éditions d'Art et d'Histoire - 1934 The Crowned "C" A 1745 edict required bronze makers to stamp their works with a small distinctive letter, a C surmounted by a crown, thus subjecting them to the payment of a tax. This applied to both objects and the furniture adorned with it.