Writing Cabinet
ca. 1770 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This secrétaire or writing desk was made in about 1770 by a Parisian cabinetmaker called Pierre Pionez. All master cabinetmakers in Paris were required to stamp the pieces they sold, and his stamp, ‘PIONEZ’, is on the back and one of the rails of this piece.
Pionez generally made rather plain furniture and was not known to embellish his pieces with porcelain plaques. It is likely that the plaque on this piece was added about a century later, shortly before the piece was bought by John Jones, a London military tailor who bequeathed it to the V&A as part of his large collection of French 18th-century furniture. The plaque is much thicker than most plaques made to decorate furniture. It may have been cut from the base of an 18th-century wine-cooler made by Sèvres, the French porcelain factory, and painted to decorate this secrétaire. On the back of the plaque there is an inscription in English, indicating that the embellishments were done in Britain.
Pionez generally made rather plain furniture and was not known to embellish his pieces with porcelain plaques. It is likely that the plaque on this piece was added about a century later, shortly before the piece was bought by John Jones, a London military tailor who bequeathed it to the V&A as part of his large collection of French 18th-century furniture. The plaque is much thicker than most plaques made to decorate furniture. It may have been cut from the base of an 18th-century wine-cooler made by Sèvres, the French porcelain factory, and painted to decorate this secrétaire. On the back of the plaque there is an inscription in English, indicating that the embellishments were done in Britain.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Oak and pine, veneered in kingwood, tulipwood, purplewood, barwood, light and stained wood; set with porcelain plaques and gilt-bronze mounts; the interior of some sections lined with paper or velvet |
| Brief description | From cabinet, French, Louis XV From cabinet, French, Louis XV In the form of a casket, raised on four tall, cabriole legs, the carcase of oak veneered with kingwood, tulipwood and other woods, the front set with a porcelain plaques, the whole set with gilt-bronze mounts. |
| Physical description | A small lady's secrétaire, raise on four tall, cabriole legs, the body in the form of a casket, with one side that lets down to form a writing surface, the top edges of the body with an in-curved frieze area with a pierced gilt-bronze gallery above. The front of the secrétaire is set with an oval plaque of Sèvres porcelain, painted with flowers and leaves, within a rectangular panel. The secrétaire is set with gilt-bronze mounts. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | In the collection of John Jones before 1882 |
| Production | With later alterations, the Sèvres porcelain plaques repainted |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This secrétaire or writing desk was made in about 1770 by a Parisian cabinetmaker called Pierre Pionez. All master cabinetmakers in Paris were required to stamp the pieces they sold, and his stamp, ‘PIONEZ’, is on the back and one of the rails of this piece. Pionez generally made rather plain furniture and was not known to embellish his pieces with porcelain plaques. It is likely that the plaque on this piece was added about a century later, shortly before the piece was bought by John Jones, a London military tailor who bequeathed it to the V&A as part of his large collection of French 18th-century furniture. The plaque is much thicker than most plaques made to decorate furniture. It may have been cut from the base of an 18th-century wine-cooler made by Sèvres, the French porcelain factory, and painted to decorate this secrétaire. On the back of the plaque there is an inscription in English, indicating that the embellishments were done in Britain. |
| Bibliographic reference | Champeaux, Alfred De: Le Meuble. II. XVIIe, XVIIIe et XIXe Siècles. Paris: Societé Français d'Editions d'Art, 1885, illustrated as fig.84, p. 260. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1034:1 to 3-1882 |
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| Record created | March 18, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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