A cabinet-style secretary desk made of rosewood, amaranth, g - Lot 132

A cabinet-style secretary desk made of rosewood, amaranth, green-stained holly, and boxwood veneers, decorated with Queen’s marquetry. It opens via a drawer in the top panel, a drop-down panel, and hinged doors. The front features three panels inlaid with a background pattern consisting of a sinuous network adorned with fleurons within double composite fillet frames decorated with Greek fret motifs. The drop-down panel, covered in red leather embossed with a fine iron pattern, reveals six inlaid drawers and six compartments. The sides are similar. The vertical stiles—which are tapered on the front—are adorned with simulated fluting and rest on feet with plates. Chiseled and gilded bronze trim: moldings, an interlaced frieze with rosettes accented by bases, lock plates, and footplates. Top of Aleppo breccia marble with a recessed edge. Stamped. P. PIONIEZ. Pierre PIONIEZ (?–1790). Certified as a master in 1765. Guild hallmark JME H_145 cm W_96 cm D_38 cm Normal wear and tear. Marble repaired. H_146.5 cm W_99 cm D_40.5 cm Pierre PIONIEZ He began his career around 1758 as a privileged craftsman in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. At that time, he is listed in the ledgers of the merchant Migeon for various supplies, including a large rosewood paperweight intended for the Abbé de Gouffier. After becoming a master craftsman on August 14, 1765, Pioniez moved his workshop to Rue Michel-le-Comte and remained there for the rest of his life. This skilled cabinetmaker, who signed his work “P. PIONIEZ,” devoted himself primarily to the production of luxury furniture. The South Kensington Museum displays a charming example of his work in the transitional style from Louis XV to Louis XVI. It is a lady’s secretary, shaped like a jewelry box, adorned on the lid with a painted porcelain medallion. Pioniez left behind many fine examples of mosaic marquetry decoration—in grid, geometric, and shaded patterns—such as the small chest of drawers once owned by Baron Jérôme Pichon, the dressing table from the former T. Broët collection, and another small table that was part of the Eugene Kraemer estate. Bibliography: French Furniture of the 18th Century. Dictionary of Cabinetmakers and Joiners. Pierre KJELLBERG. Edition de l’amateur, 1998. Pages 655 and 656. Expert: Stéphane Pepe. Expert: PEPE Stephane