Bureau Mazarin
manner of André-Charles Boulle the Elder (1642 - 1732)
Category
Furniture
Date
1700 - 1715
Materials
Ebony, walnut, ebonised, brass inlay and mounts, deal construction
Measurements
80 x 113 x 65 cm
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk
NT 850063
Summary
A brass inlaid and brass mounted ebony and ebonised bureau Mazarin, in the manner of André Charles Boulle (1642-1732) French, circa 1710 The rectangular top with gilt brass edge and inlaid with a geometrical arabesque design incorporating a central cartouche panel within trellis borders, with seven drawers to the kneehole and a cupboard door raised on square section tapered legs with brass collars and tied by twin shaped X stretchers, terminating on turned brass feet. The front and sides decorated with conforming brass inlaid designs.
Full description
André-Charles Boulle (Paris, 1642 - 1732) was a French ebeniste who is generally considered to be the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry, his fame in marquetry work led to his name being given to the fashion he perfected of inlaying brass and tortoiseshell…. In 1672, Boulle rose from master cabinetmaker to ébéniste du roi, royal cabinetmaker and sculptor to King Louis XIV, That same year, the king granted him the royal privilege of lodging in the Palais du Louvre. This position allowed Boulle to produce furniture as well as works in gilt bronze, such as chandeliers, wall lights, and mounts for furniture. Although strict guild rules usually prevented craftsmen from practicing two professions simultaneously, Boulle's favored position allowed him protected status and exempted him from these statutes. Boulle’s specialty was wood pictorial marquetry, The furniture by André-Charles Boulle was never signed by its creator. As a result, many of the Boulle-marquetry pieces are noted as “attributed to André-Charles Boulle.” Along with creating elaborate motifs in wood, Boulle was ingenious in his use of specialized materials and metals. His technique of intricate tortoiseshell and brass designs, called “Boulle work,” was highly prized. (James Weedon 2017)
Provenance
Part of the Bristol Collection. Acquired by the National Trust in 1956 under the auspices of the National Land Fund, later the National Heritage Memorial Fund
Makers and roles
manner of André-Charles Boulle the Elder (1642 - 1732), ébéniste
References
Ronfort 2009: Jean Nérée Ronfort (ed.), André Charles Boulle, 1642-1732 : Un nouveau style pour l’Europe (ex. cat.), Frankfurt 2009