Rousseau Frank Art Deco 20th Century Shagreen Mother-of-pearl Rosewood Box Set

Box or casket in shagreen*, interior in rosewood and mother-of-pearl, decorated with a golden monogram on the lid, work in the style of the 1930s (Clément Rousseau, Jean-Michel Frank, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann...), from the Art Deco period of the 20th century. This box is in good condition. We do not have the key. Please note: the lid is slightly curved, slight wear of the interior velvet, small losses on the box on the front, missing threads on the edge of the bottom, slight wear of the hinge on the left side, see photos (see red arrows). *Shagreen, cartilaginous fish leather (ray or shark) used for a long time in cabinetmaking, upholstery, and more recently in leather goods. Halfway between leather and mineral, shagreen is covered with silica beads, therefore difficult to tan. It has different aspects: grainy and shiny, or sanded: in this case it is smooth and reveals a surface partitioned with small cells. There are 2 types of shagreen: small-grain shagreen and large-grain shagreen. The origin of the word "shagreen" actually dates back to the 18th century. It is the name of the first craftsman in the West who knew how to work dogfish and ray leather. Jean-Claude Galluchat (with two "l") was a master leather maker for King Louis XV... or rather the Marquise de Pompadour. This craftsman made such a reference to his time by dressing the rarest objects (chests, trunks, sword handles, etc.) with this fish skin that the proper name became synonymous with the material. Forgotten in the 19th century, shagreen resurfaced in the decorative arts in 1920, highlighted on furniture designed by great "Art Deco" designers such as Paul Iribe, André Groult and Jules Leleu. Dimensions Dimensions 22.9 cm x 14.8 cm Height 5.5 cm Reference: E10 377 All photos are on: www.antiques-delaval.com