Large Boulle Marquetry Bookcase, Louis XIV Period, Attributed To Nicolas Sageot

An important and sumptuous Louis XIV period bookcase in Boulle marquetry of brass on a red tortoiseshell and ebony ground.

Rectangular in shape, it opens with two glazed doors revealing an interior furnished with five shelves with blackened wood edges enhanced by two brass fillets. The doors, with four panes of glass in the corners, are framed in ebony and adorned with Boulle marquetry known as "à la Bérain," featuring foliate scrolls, fleurons, vines, rosettes, and finely engraved arabesques.
This bookcase rests on an arched ebony plinth, the front of which is decorated with the same Boulle marquetry, framed by a brass border and surmounted by a gilt-bronze frieze.

The top features a straight cornice, in the same Boulle marquetry framed in ebony and surmounted by a gilt-bronze alcove frieze. The doors are separated by a frieze of interlaced gilt-bronze motifs, the apex of which features a large, finely crafted gilt-bronze mascaron head. On either side of the central vertical line are four gilt-bronze keyhole escutcheons, each decorated with a floral Native American head surmounted by a crown.

The sides are decorated with geometric patterns of double lozenges framed by rectangles, in brass on a black background. At the center of each lozenge is a gilt-bronze mascaron.

This remarkable decoration is distinguished by luxurious marquetry in tortoiseshell, brass, and ebony, alternating geometric shapes and foliate motifs.
The entire piece reflects the elegance and richness of the decorative ornamentation prized at the court of Louis XIV.

The exquisite detail and remarkable craftsmanship of this bookcase attribute this work to Nicolas Sageot, a highly skilled cabinetmaker during the reign of Louis XIV, who became a master in 1706.

Parisian work from the Louis XIV period, attributed to Nicolas Sageot

Usual restoration and maintenance.
Bronze mounts retain their original gilding.

Dimensions: H 226 x W 143.5 x D 46.5