bureau plat
furniture maker: Jean-David Fontanier (French, active 1700-1778; 1730-1778); furniture maker: Jean-Charles Ellaume (French, active 1754-1780);
circa 1745-circa 1749
See full details
Object Detail
Description
desk, mounted with gilded bronze ornaments in the form of handles and sabots, at the knees and at the curved sections between the drawers and false drawers. The perimeter of the desk surface is mounted with a band of protective gilded bronze with additional corner protectors. Fifteen of the twenty four mounts bear the "C-couronne" stamp. The surface of the bureau-plat is covered with leather which has been applied in three pieces and bears tooled decoration around the edge. This leather, in the opinion of the curator (HFB), could possibly be original. The underside of the carcass (beneath the left hand false drawer) is stamped with the signature of the ebeniste. In addition, the underside of the front edge of the central drawer is stamped with the name of a second ebeniste (*). Broad band of Kingwood surrounding the top of the desk; the Partridge wood appears as a darker veneer inlaid in hatched, geometric patterns across the drawer fronts.
Maker and role
furniture maker: Jean-David Fontanier (French, active 1700-1778; 1730-1778)
furniture maker: Jean-Charles Ellaume (French, active 1754-1780)
furniture maker: Jean-Charles Ellaume (French, active 1754-1780)
Production place
France
Production date
circa 1745-circa 1749
Media description
Partridge Wood (Peltogyne porphyrocadia), Satinee veneer (African Mahogany) (Brosmum paraense), Oak (Quercus sp), possibly also Rosewood and Kingwood, tulipwood, pine, leather, ormolu (gilt bronze) mounts
Measurements
800 x 1935 x 990 mm
Inscriptions
"IDF" signature of Jean-David Fortanier, Ebeniste, Paris; "J C Ellaume" signature beneath central drawerfront; "C-Couronne" stamp marks on 15 of the 24 mounts. "Laurent" signature stamped into each of the three locks.
Credit line
Foundation Collection, 1989
Project credit line
This digital record has been made available on TJC Collection Online through a significant donation from the OPENING DOORS fund, the generous support of The Friends of The Johnston Collection, and Digitisation Champion Christine Bell
Accession number
A0029
TJC reference number
29
