Bureau Mazarin
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1850
Materials
Ebony, brass, pine carcase, walnut drawer linings
Measurements
85 cm (H); 119 cm (W); 67.5 cm (D)
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Beningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire
NT 1190803
Summary
A brass inlaid and brass mounted ebony 'Boulle' bureau Mazarin or writing desk, French, circa 1850. Early 18th century style, the rectangular top with a brass mounted edge above seven drawers to the kneehole and a recesses cupboard, raised on square section tapered legs and brass feet, tied by twin shaped X frame stretchers, the whole profusely inlaid with brass arabesque designs.
Full description
Christopher Payne discusses French 19th century 'Boulle' furniture in 19th century European Furniture and illustrates a similar example in figure 67.
Provenance
Like other items at Beningbrough, this desk may previously have been at Holme Lacy, the inherited Scudamore house sold by the 10th Earl of Chesterfield in 1910. Beningbrough Hall was transferred to National Trust in 1958 by the Treasury in lieu of death duties following the death of Lady Chesterfield in 1957. The contents were auctioned off, but a small number of items, including this desk (then in the saloon), were purchased by the Ministry of Works and transferred to the National Trust (see auction catalogue lot 643 and Ministry of Works 'Schedule of objects given to the National Trust for preservation at Beningbrough Hall').
References
Payne, Christopher '19th Century European Furniture' ACC, Woodbridge 1989, fig.67