Donkey Secretary Assigned To François Garnier

Secretary sloping, satin veneer, with compartments of Chinese lacquer decorated on a black background, gilt bronze ornaments, attributed to FG (François Garnier), Louis XV period. (H x W x D): 84 x 68 x 44.5 cm.

Very nice little sloping secretary called "donkey", from the middle of the Louis XV period, whose forms of cash are reminiscent of the work of cabinetmakers such as Jacques Dubois or François Garnier. The furniture is richly veneered with satin and Chinese lacquer panels with exotic bird motifs, and qilin, these fantastic Chinese creatures that look like both dragons and lions. It is also embellished with the famous three-legged toad, the one that brings infinite wealth to who captures it. We restored this office to the original state that was to be his, without heavy additions of gilt bronze dating from the late nineteenth century or later. Inside, the theater opens with some beautiful drawers with curved and domed facades like the cabinet, and conceals a compartment under a sliding tray. Everything is plated in satin too. Even though it is not stamped, the very good quality of this secretary, the quality of the chosen essence, as well as the choice of the Chinese lacquer indicate that it leaves the workshop of a very good cabinetmaker from Paris. Louis XV.

FG?

A very similar secretary by cutting his box and the arrangement of lacquer elements, stamped FG (stamp identified as that of François Garnier before 1743), tends to have our secretary assigned to this cabinetmaker. Indeed, each cabinetmaker had a template that he took regularly, either to the plate or to varnish. Each template had characteristic lines that differentiated it from the work of other workshops. But the secretary sold by Joron-Derem in 2010, stamped FG, looks in all respects ours, both inside and outside.

Restorations of use and maintenance. A drawer changed. The original drawer has been preserved and can be reinstated upon request.