Antique Louis XVI style ormolu and Sèvres porcelain mounted secretaire

Antique Louis XVI style ormolu and Sèvres porcelain mounted secretaire
French, c. 1840
Height 127cm, width 76cm, depth 37cm
 
This magnificent secretaire was crafted around 1840 from a selection of high quality including 18th century Sèvres porcelain and mahogany. The piece comes with an interesting provenance.
 
The upper part of the secretaire is decorated with a central rectangular panel filled with Sèvres porcelain panels. The four edges are painted with dainty floral compositions framed by a gilt and pastel green border. The central, oval panel is framed similarly but is painted with a rich flower-filled vase atop a pedestal. Similar compositions can be found on the twin doors below.
 
The lockable fall-front opens to reveal three shelves, one storage compartment, and four drawers. In front is a leather-lined writing surface with debossed and gilt ornamentation. The twin doors below open to reveal further storage in the form of a shelf and a lockable compartment. The secretaire is adorned with elegant ormolu mounts all around, highlighting the beauty of the delicate and dainty Sèvres porcelain panels.
 
Four toupie feet with ormolu sabots support the piece. Its back is marked with ‘R282’ indicative of the Rothschild inventory number.
 
Until WWII the piece was in the collection of the Rothschild family when it was confiscated by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR). In 1941 the secretaire was transferred to the Jeu de Paume in Paris and on 20 June 1945 it was recovered by the Monuments Fine Arts and Archives Section from Alt Aussee, Austria and transferred to the Munich Central Collecting Point. In 1946 it was repatriated to France and later acquired privately.
 
The high quality of finish and interesting history make this secretaire a desirable addition to one’s interior space.
 
Provenance:
- Acquired by Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827-1905).
- Thence by descent to his son Baron Edouard de Rothschild (1868-1949).
- Confiscated from the above by Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) and transferred to the Jeu de Paume after the Nazi occupation in 1941 (R 282).
- Recovered by the Monuments Fine Arts and Archives Section from Alt Aussee, Austria and transferred to the Munich Central Collecting Point, 20 June 1945 (MCCP no. 610).
- Repatriated to France, 19 September 1946.
- Acquired privately from the Succession de Baronne Edouard (Germaine Alice Halphen) de Rothschild (1884-1975) by the father of the previous owners.