A “tombeau à pont” chest of drawers from the estate of Maria Callas
Bois de violette veneer on softwood and walnut, ormolu mountings. With five drawers in four rows. The sumptuous bronze mountings on the front partially replaced. With unusual mouldings along the base and feet, the pointed angles with female mascarons and foliate swags, the bracket feet with scroll sabots. With a rare inlaid panel depicting rosette motifs surrounded by bronze mouldings. H 84, W 127, D 68.5 cm.
Paris, époque Régence, circa 1720 - 30.
This magnificent chest of drawers is traditionally attributed to the cabinetmaker Noël Gérard, who was active between 1710 and 1736. He was a contemporary of the famous André Charles Boulle (1642 - 1732), for whom he also worked. The elevation of the piece 'en tombeau' is characteristic of the voluminous, static furniture produced during the reign of Louis XIV. However, the maker of this chest of drawers did not choose to decorate the piece with the typical boulle marquetry, which derives its appeal from the contrast between the gold colour of the brass inlays against a usually darker tortoiseshell background, but opted instead for a more subtle solution using a veneer of expensive imported precious wood with a lively grain. Noël Gérard cast his own bronzes and was therefore able to offer an exceptional repertoire. He was well known for his finely chased bronze mountings with pagoda motifs, which earned him the epithet “maître aux pagodes”.
Provenance
Given as a gift by Aristoteles Onassis to Maria Callas in Paris. Auctioned by Boisgirard Paris, 14th June 1978, lot 128. Collection of Métrot et le Vigoureux, Paris. American collection.
Literature
Illus. in Bédaride (L'Abbé d'Arrides), Les commodes tombeaux à pont, in: L'Objet d'Art No. 260, July/August 1992, p. 65, no. 27. Illus. in Miller, Furniture - World styles from classical to contemporary, London 2005, p. 77. Cf. The identical mountings on a bureau plat in the Munich Residence (in Langer/Ottomeyer, Die Möbel der Municher Residenz I, Munich/New York 1995, p. 49 ff.) attributed to François Lieutaud. A further bureau plat attributed to Noël Gérard with identical mountings in Pradère, Die Kunst des französischen Möbels, Munich 1990, p. 113, illus. 81 and 82. Cf. also Pradère, Le maître aux Pagodes, un ébéniste mystérieux, In: L'Estampille, March 1991, p. 22 ff., 34.