"abattant" Secretary. Signed Hyppolyte-edme Pretot (paris, 1812-1855). 19th Century.

"Abattant" secretaire. Precious wood, marquetry, interior with drawers in rosewood and textile, gilt bronze and enameled porcelain; marble top. Signed HYPPOLYTE-EDME PRETOT (Paris, 1812-1855). 19th century.
Secretaire with a light veined marble top and rectangular base, with a curved base and rounded corners highlighted with a diamond marquetry and some gilt metal applications reminiscent of classicism. The sides have a diamond decoration on the wood in the central area, separated by two gilt bronze moldings that extend onto the three facades; in the upper part, the same compositional scheme is repeated. The facade concentrates the decoration: a composition framed by feathers based on flowers and plant elements in a delicate marquetry for each of the drawers, which, on the small door, is highlighted by a bronze molding and accompanied by an enameled porcelain plaque. This one features two cupids on a celestial background, as well as a frame in the same metal. Opening this small door reveals a small desk with a fabric-covered top and four drawers flanking a central space, located under another rectangular space. The corners of the piece are also decorated with classical dolphins and grotesques of children whose lower half of the body is transformed into plant elements and volutes. The piece bears a signature linked to Hippolyte-Edme Pretot, a Parisian cabinetmaker who established himself in the rue de l'Abbaye in 1836, moved to the rue Saint-Germain in 1841 and, from 1846, to the rue de Harlay. He presented some of his best works at the French National Exhibition in 1849 and received a medal at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. The present example can be compared to the lines of a Napoleon III cabinet in pietra dura, ebonized wood and gilt bronze, dated around 1850 and kept in a private collection. These similarities can be appreciated by comparing the bronze elements of the two pieces of furniture. Some works by the master, or attributed to him, are in the Dayton Art Institute (USA), the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Luxembourg Embassy in The Hague, the National Heritage collection of Spain, etc.
- Dimensions: 80x44x109 cm