Cedric DuPont Antiques

Item No. 3572

A very high quality and medium scale French mid 18th Century Louis XV period Rosewood bombee shaped 2 drawer chest, stamped ‘Lardin, JME’, with original ormolu mounts and hardware. The chest is raised by 4 very elegant ‘S’ scrolled legs with exquisite ormolu sabots and has a scalloped apron decorated by an important pierced ormolu cartouche. Above are 2 drawers richly mounted by impressive foliage shaped handles and keyhole escutcheons, and inlaid with a rectangular design that is repeated on both sides. At the top of each corner are large scrolled acanthus leaf shaped ormolu chutes, while above lays the original ‘Bec de Corbin’ shaped Incarnat Turquin marble. Andre-Antoine LARDIN, a Parisian master cabinetmaker, ( 1724- 1790 ). Until the end of Louis XV's reign, he lived in rue de Charenton where he had his workshop named "Bois de Boulogne". As a manufacturer he worked hard to promote trade. When he died, dozens of unfinished pieces were found in his workshop, and he left behind several shops filled with furniture. His pieces of work are stamped with his typical large letters. A rosewood commode decorated with Greek frets, is in the Carnavalet museum in Paris. Another of his commodes, a typical Louis XV style piece, used to belong to Princess Altora Colonna's former collection. One of his best achievements is a small demi-lune marquetry piece of furniture with the front panel showing a landscape and the sides decorated with floral baskets under a frieze of stylized flowers. Lardin's two sons, Andre-Antoine and Louis-Francois, started working as his assistants and were to become his associates. Both sons became masters. After their father's death the oldest settled in rue Traversiere and the youngest remained in the workshop in rue St. Nicolas. During the Directoire period, they both continued working in the cabinet making field. Length: 35" Depth: 16.5" Height: 33"