Rare Mahogany Money Changer's Desk, Stamped By Joseph Stockel.

A rare money changer's desk, originally intended for a gambling den. This elegantly slender piece features four fluted legs supporting a drawer-fronted compartment with a clever roll-up door. The interior is simple yet lined with its original old green leather. The remarkable craftsmanship of this Cuban mahogany piece is evident. When closed, the slats of the door form a surface almost entirely concealing the mechanism, all framed by a wide, molded border with a corbelled edge. The beautifully fluted legs feature a finely molded, tapered joint and a rounded foot, also adorned with fluting. An elegant, small, curved molding connects this foot to the stretchers. The entire piece is veneered in fine, straight-grained mahogany. Original wooden casters and guilloché gilt-bronze feet. This table is stamped "Stockel," for Joseph Stockel (1743-1802). Of German origin, he arrived in Paris at the age of 26, became a master craftsman in 1775, and established himself first on the rue de Charenton and then on the rue des Fossés du Temple. He distinguished himself in the manufacture of luxury furniture, crafted in a refined but somewhat austere style (source: Salverte). He collaborated with Guillaume Beneman, also of German origin, on projects for the Crown Furniture Repository.