£4,500
Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art from 1600 | 571
Auction: 4 September 2019 at 11:00 BST
the hinged glazed panel top opening to a silk lined interior, raised on slender brass supports with fluted brass-lined mahogany bases joined by an interlaced undertier with a central gilt-bronze twin dolphin finial, on tapered feet, stamped ALIX four times to the underside
NOTE: This elegant 'table a ouvrage' is modelled after the celebrated table reputedly made for Marie Antoinette on the occasion of the birth of the dauphin of France, Louis Joseph, in 1781. That table, now in the collection of the musee du Louvre, was previously attributed to the Jean-Henri Riesener, but is now considered to have been designed by Adam Weisweiler.
Made for the 19th century luxury market, this table was interpreted by a number of important French 19th century makers including Henry Dasson, Paul Sormani and Beurdeley. Their designs differ slightly from the original model with the absence of the gilt bronze dolphin mount to the stretcher. The present version is truer to Weisweiler's original.
George-Francois Alix (1846-1906) was established at 6, rue de Charonne and moved to 6 bis, rue Richard Lenoir in 1878. He specialised in elegant and sophisticated furniture based on 18th models and exhibited at the important international exhibitions including the Paris Expositions of 1884, 1885, and 1889.