Louis XVI Satin Secretary Stamped Conrad Mauter In Paris

Conrad MAUTER (1742,1810), received master on September 10, 1777.

Very beautiful Louis XVI period secretary made of satin and amaranth veneer, front uprights in cut corners simulating fluting, rear uprights in projection with simulated fluting as well.

Inlaid front with Greek fillets.

Opening a drawer in the upper part, a flap revealing a theater composed of niches and six drawers, a Havana leather top decorated with friezes gilded with iron, two doors in the lower part with storage shelf.

Beautiful ornamentation of gilded and chiseled bronze. Saint Anne gray marble top with cavetto molding.

Stamp of Conrad Mauter and hallmark of jurande on the right rear upright.

Very good condition, restored by our workshop with a traditional polish. Used leather top (see photo), can be replaced on request by our leather craftsman.

Furniture supplied with a certificate of authenticity dated 1974 from a Parisian art expert of the time (see photo).

Bibliography of Conrad Mauter (extract from Wikipedia):

Conrad Mauter, known as Motaire (born in Germany in 1742, died on May 14, 1810) in Paris was a master cabinetmaker and supplier to the Count of Artois. Born in 1742 in Germany, he emigrated to Paris around 1765.
On April 16, 1787, he married Charlotte Félicité Foureau, daughter of Louis Foureau, who was appointed master cabinetmaker in 1755, working in the Faubourg Saint-Denis and who had made a good reputation for his lacquered furniture.
They had five sons and lived on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, successively at 327 (in 1799), then at 273 (in 1803), and finally in his property at 20 (from 1806) until his death.
He died on May 14, 1810 in Paris, his wife surviving him until 1821.

His work:
He began as a "free worker" on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine in 1768 and obtained the master's degree on September 10, 1777.
His business prospered quickly.
From 1782, he became a regular supplier to the Comte d'Artois, brother of the King and future Charles X. Thus, until the French Revolution, he delivered his furniture to the Palais du Temple, the Château de Bagatelle, the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Château de Maisons and even chests of drawers to the Château de Saint-Cloud in 1791.
He was one of the most prolific furniture producers at the end of the century. Despite this, many of his works, in these châteaux, were destroyed or disappeared during the French Revolution. Under the Directory, then the Consulate, Mauter continued his manufacturing, notably of tables of all kinds (writing, dining, playing... some with mechanisms).
He endured without too much damage the numerous bankruptcies of his corporation.
He was a creditor of the bankruptcies of the cabinetmaker Trintzius (1803), the upholsterers Brunet (1804) and Quedeville (1807). Throughout this period, he continued to produce, alongside Directoire and Consulate style furniture, Louis XVI style furniture, as evidenced by his estate, created by Palmer and Eyring in 1810.
At his death, his business was still prosperous: he employed eight cabinetmakers and his stock (veneer, mahogany, amaranth and yellow wood) was very large (estimated at more than 22,000 Francs).
Upon his death, his company was bought by Nicolas-Louis Sandrin. His art: Mauter left a large number of Louis XVI furniture, almost all in mahogany and with classical lines.
His production is divided into two parts: very sober service furniture with few bronzes, and more elaborate luxury furniture with rigorous moldings reinforced with copper framing rods, fluted columns and pilasters, etc. More specialized in living room tables, pedestal tables, game tables, he also left chests of drawers, secretaries, small flat or cylinder desks, bonheurs-du-jour and bookcases, and much more rarely furniture in rosewood or lemonwood veneer or even marquetry with geometric patterns.

His stamp:
He signs his furniture with his stamp "C.MAUTER".
It is sometimes found associated with that of:
Adam Weisweiler
Charles Topino and Claude-Charles Saunier (1735-1807) jointly on two bonheurs-du-jour.
Antoine Gosselin

His clients:
• The Count of Artois future King of France.
• The painter Jacques-Louis David: a painter's table with a drop-leaf top revealing compartments, stamped Conrad Mauter.
• The upholsterer Leclerc worked for Conrad Mauter.

His works in museums and private collections:
Museums
• Château de Vendeuvre (Calvados)   In the grand salon: Backgammon table in mahogany and ebony, ivory, bronze, leather and felt by Conrad Mauter from the last quarter of the 18th century
• Hillwood Estate (Washington DC): Upstairs in Mrs. Post's bedroom, Louis XVI mahogany and gilt bronze curtain desk stamped Conrad Mauter (ca. 1780).

Private Collections:
• S.H. Rhein Collection
• Jean Chélo Collection
• E. Levy Collection
• Doumerc-Rémy Collection
• Villa Silvio Pellico Moncalieri Collection