Paperweight Of A Young Woman Reading By Tahan

Jean-Pierre Tahan (1813-1892), Paris circa 1849-1866. Paperweight of a young woman reading in the antique style. Dimensions: 15cm x 10.5cm x 10cm. Paperweight from the TAHAN firm in Paris, made of stained and varnished wood and gilt bronze. It consists of a rectangular wooden base decorated with a beaded frieze. This base supports a second wooden plate resting on four feet, adorned on its sides with eight metal diamond points, while its top is also decorated with a beaded frieze. The whole is surmounted by a gilt metal antique-style figure of a young woman reading, surrounded by books. It bears a label underneath: TAHAN / Manufacturer / rue de la Paix / at the corner of the Boulevard. Pierre Lambert Tahan, a cabinetmaker of Belgian origin, settled in Paris shortly before 1806, in the Temple district. In 1844, he ceased operations and entrusted the management of his workshop to his son, Jean-Pierre Tahan. The latter profoundly transformed the company's organization by separating the manufacturing from the shop, which he established in 1849 at 32 rue de la Paix. The following year, he was recognized as "Supplier to the King and Princes." In 1855, he obtained the prestigious title of "Supplier to the Emperor," testifying to the importance of his relationship with the Court, which commissioned numerous pieces of furniture from him, such as bookcases, tables, pedestal tables, and dressing cases. Subsequently, Tahan participated in the major World's Fairs of his time. Good overall condition; one side of the wooden top panel is cracked.