Mazarin desk with a stepped top made of ebony, hornbeam,...

Mazarin desk with a stepped top made of ebony, hornbeam, and boxwood veneers on an amaranth background, decorated on all sides. It is adorned with a rich design of acanthus scrolls, rosettes, and volutes. The back features three panels framed by bands. The top and the pivoting panel reveal an interior writing surface and four drawers with oak inlays, two of which are small and stacked one above the other. The body opens to reveal four drawers with oak inlays and a central door. It is supported by eight sheathed legs with capitals and bases in gilded wood, joined by an H-shaped crossbar resting on ball feet adorned with acanthus leaves.
Paris, Louis XIV period. Circa 1685
Dimensions: H_80.5 cm W_103.5 cm D_63.5 cm
Normal restoration to the decoration and base. A small interior drawer added later

Related Works
Câlin Demestrescu, in the chapter of his book devoted to “les GAUDRON,” features two small, anonymous Mazarin desks resting on similar bases.
Bibliography: The Crown Cabinetmakers during the Reign of Louis XIV. Câlin Demestrescu. La bibliothèque des arts. Lausanne, 2021. Page 290

Expert: Stéphane PEPE

Expert: Stephane PEPE