A 19th Century French Envelope Card Table By Sormani Paris, Circa 1880

A fine french ormolu-mounted kingwood envelope card table by Sormani Paris.
The revolving fold out top enclosing a gilt tooled baize lined interior above a frieze drawer ;
The reverse with a conforming dummy frieze drawer the legs headed by Bacchanalian masks, the sides centered by satyr masks.
It’s opening to a green felt playing surface.
Stamped underneath SORMANI PARIS
In original conditions, no repairs, no regilding, no refinishing
Circa 1880.
H 75 cm L 60 cm P 60 cm
Same model sold at Christies Interiors London, 17th february 2015. Lot 410 price realized GBP 8500

Paul Sormani, born in Italy in 1817, dead in 1877, specialized at first in the making of small furniture. He installed 1854 his workshops at the n°114 rue du Temple in Paris. The Sormani company knew then a great success and was much in favour with the Imperial Fa-mily as well as with the Paris high society., Empress Eugénie furnished then her palaces in the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, with some of Sormani’s creations.
Presenting his work at all important fairs, such the 1849 Exposition of the Industrial Products or the Universal Exhibitions from 1855 until 1867, Sormani was then honored by jurys for his « production of high standard quality » and won the highest awards. In 1867, by the time of the great Universal Exhibition, Sormani enlarged and transfered his workshops to the n°10 rue Charlot. When Paul Sormani died in 1877, his wife and son took over the bu-siness and from this date onwards pieces are normally signed « Veuve Sormani & Fils à Paris ». After World War I, they went into partnership with Thiébaux and the company pre-mises were then installed at n°134 boulevard Haussmann until 1934.