1940s French Louis XVI Creamy White Black Gilt Wood Double Pedestal Extension Dining Table by Maison Jansen Paris

Details

Description

A rare, magnificent, and well documented French double pedestal dining table by iconic luxury Parisian design house Maison Jansen.

Paris, … Read more A rare, magnificent, and well documented French double pedestal dining table by iconic luxury Parisian design house Maison Jansen.

Paris, France, circa 1940

This table was created by Jansen who sold an identical dining table to the Duke (former King) and Duchess of Windsor for their house on the Boulevard Suchet in Paris where they lived before the war. Jansen was known for their custom commissions and one-of-a-kind works, so it's quite possible this is the same table that was in the Royals home, but we don't have the history or documentation to say with any certainty

Of the very finest of quality, this exceptionally executed midcentury interpretation of opulent 18th century Louis XVI style, features parcel gilt, painted and lacquered wood, having an oval top with ornate fiolate carved molded edge that can extend from 5.5' up to a large nearly 9' foot surface thanks to retaining the original two leave extensions and an additional central drop leg support. Raised atop a pair of ornate pedestal bases, each intricately carved and detailed throughout, including elaborate sculpted acanthus leaf adorned shaped supports, and turned urn-form cross-stretcher finials.

The sleek gloss black tabletop, brilliantly gilded ornamentation, and lightly patinated soft alabaster cream paint finish creates an almost magical visually striking appearance!

Dimensions: (approx)
28.25" High x 67.5" Long x 45" Wide;
Extended: 87.5" or 107" Long
Leaves: 45.75" x 20" (leaf, each)

PROVENANCE:
Louis Bofferding, New York. (additional information below)

LITERATURE:
J.A. Abbott, Jansen Furniture (New York: Acanthus, 2007), page 172 (the model illustrated).

A nearly identical example is well documented in the dining room of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor residence, Boulevard Suchet, Paris (as shown in the attached photograph, c.1964).

ACQUISITION:
Acquired from the above owner through the highly reputable auction house Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. 2025 October 23 Modern Design Signature Auction catalog #8234, lot#67050

PROVENANCE: (Continued)
R. Louis Bofferding, Decorative & Fine Art,141 East 62nd Street, 2nd floor, New York NY.

A former contemporary art dealer, museum curator, top-tier lecturer, writer, and highly respected expert, Louis Bofferding deals in art and design from antiquity to the present. He first made his name in the field by reintroducing the 1930s high-style furnishings of Syrie Maugham, Jansen, and Baguès, and juxtaposing them with 18th-century furnishings and contemporary art. At his former Lexington Avenue gallery he mounted the first exhibitions on the 1970s designers Alessandro Albrizzi, and his contemporary John Dickinson, both in collaboration with their estates.

His inventory encompasses the rarefied (an ancient Pompeian marble head), the unusual (a 1930s Elsie de Wolfe mirrored fireplace), and the important (his rediscovery of a monumental Venini mirror, designed by Gio Ponti for the 1928 Venice Biennale, was the subject of an article in The New York Times).

Among his clients are museums, collectors, contemporary art dealers, decorators, and fashion designers, including the Metropolitan Museum, Matthew Marks, Pierre Bergé, Peter Marino, and Valentino. Bofferding’s arrangements of Western, Asian, and African works, both in his gallery and at his home, have been featured in Vogue, Town & Country, W magazine, and The World of Interiors, as well as numerous books on interior design.

Bofferding has lectured at the Los Angeles County Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Winterthur, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum, and many other institutions. He has written catalog introductions for historic auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Wright. He wrote monthly design columns for both Domino and Elle Decor, and contributes to Architectural Digest. He has designed furniture for decorators and collectors, and is currently designing a limited-edition furniture line. He is also writing a book on the 20th-century domestic interior.

CONDITION REPORT:
Overall a superb museum quality example, in great vintage condition.

Attractive appearance, excellent presentation, with nicely aged patina. Strong, sturdy, stable, structurally sound. May have light wear commensurate with age and use. Delivered cleaned, waxed, with hand polished patina, ready for immediate use and generational enjoyment! See less