Jewel Coffer and Secrétaire
1775-1780 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is one of the most exquisitely made pieces of furniture in the V&A's collections. The small drawers and compartments are made with extreme care and the outside is veneered with the highest-quality marquetry and set with gilt-bronze mounts that are almost as finely finished as jewellery.
It was made in about 1775–1780 in Paris by the royal cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener, but unfortunately it is not known for whom it was made. Riesener’s name is stamped in three places underneath the stand, as was required by the guild of cabinetmakers in Paris at the time. It combines a jewel coffer with the fittings for a small secrétaire, and one side hinges down to provide a writing surface. The coffer is fitted with many trays and with a number of secret drawers, some of which were not discovered until the 1990s.
It was made in about 1775–1780 in Paris by the royal cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener, but unfortunately it is not known for whom it was made. Riesener’s name is stamped in three places underneath the stand, as was required by the guild of cabinetmakers in Paris at the time. It combines a jewel coffer with the fittings for a small secrétaire, and one side hinges down to provide a writing surface. The coffer is fitted with many trays and with a number of secret drawers, some of which were not discovered until the 1990s.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 7 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Veneered in grey-stained sycamore, with marquetry of other woods, on a carcase of oak |
| Brief description | Jewel coffer and secrétaire, veneered in trellis marquetry of sycamore and other woods on a carcase of oak; mounts of gilt bronze, made in Paris, 1775-1780 |
| Physical description | A jewel coffer and secrétaire on tall stand, veneered in trellis marquetry in sycamore, stained grey, with trellis in bois satiné and boxwood, with further marquetry in ebony, boxwood, tulipwood and purpleheart; mounts of gilt bronze. The inner trays are lined with silk and one side hinges down to allow the piece to be used for writing |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | J H RIESENER (Stamped three times on the underside of the stand, once on the front rail and twice, very indistinctly and partly overlapping, on one side rail) |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | Acquired by John Jones before 1882 and bequeathed by him to the Museum in that year. A night table of |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is one of the most exquisitely made pieces of furniture in the V&A's collections. The small drawers and compartments are made with extreme care and the outside is veneered with the highest-quality marquetry and set with gilt-bronze mounts that are almost as finely finished as jewellery. It was made in about 1775–1780 in Paris by the royal cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener, but unfortunately it is not known for whom it was made. Riesener’s name is stamped in three places underneath the stand, as was required by the guild of cabinetmakers in Paris at the time. It combines a jewel coffer with the fittings for a small secrétaire, and one side hinges down to provide a writing surface. The coffer is fitted with many trays and with a number of secret drawers, some of which were not discovered until the 1990s. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1106-1882 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
