Antique Empire Secretaire, 1815

Details

Description

Large Empire secretary in the so-called Retour d’Égypte style, raised on blackened and partially gilded paw feet. The lower section … Read more Large Empire secretary in the so-called Retour d’Égypte style, raised on blackened and partially gilded paw feet. The lower section comprises three drawers, above which a fall-front writing surface is flanked by caryatid pilasters. This is followed by a shallow drawer, an additional drawer section, and an upper cabinet with three doors and a hidden drawer within a risalit-style cornice with dentil frieze.

The façade is decorated with black relief panels depicting partly mythological scenes, including swans, Hermes with the caduceus riding the west wind Zephyr, and winged lion chimeras in the upper section.

Veneered in mahogany, the piece is architecturally structured with columns featuring brass capitals and bases and ebonized shafts. The interior centers around a mirrored compartment with column decoration, surrounded by additional doors and multiple drawers; further compartments are concealed behind the doors. See less