Bonheur Du Jour
ca. 1860 (made), 1763 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bonheur du jour or small desk formed part of the collection of John Jones, who bequeathed his large collection of French decorative arts to the Museum in 1882. He almost certainly thought, when he bought it, that it dated from about 1760, but we now know that only the porcelain plaques date from that time. The rest of the desk is a copy of an earlier model, and was probably made in England only a few years before Jones bought it, although we have no clue to the particular workshop that might have made it. Ironically, when Jones left his collection to the Museum it immediately became so famous that copies of several pieces, including this one, were made, many of them by the French firm of Sormani. We know of photographs of these copies, which were trustingly made in Paris in imitation of an English copy of an earlier French piece.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 10 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Veneered in sycamore and tulipwood on a carcase of oak, sycamore and poplar, drawers lined with purplewood veneers; plaques of Sèvres porcelain; gilt-bronze mounts |
| Brief description | Bonheur du jour or small writing desk, veneered in sycamore and tulipwood, and set with gilt-bronze mounts and with earlier Sèvres porcelain plaques |
| Physical description | A small bonheur du jour or writing desk with raised back section, on tall cabriole legs, the desk veneered in sycamore and tulipwood on a carcase of oak, sycamore and poplar, the drawers lined with veneers of purplewood. The desk is set with gilt-bronze mounts and with plaques of Sèvres porcelain with enamelled decoration of flowers on reserves against a green ground |
| 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 | The plaques made at Sèvres in 1763 and re-used for this piece approximately 100 years later, probably in England. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This bonheur du jour or small desk formed part of the collection of John Jones, who bequeathed his large collection of French decorative arts to the Museum in 1882. He almost certainly thought, when he bought it, that it dated from about 1760, but we now know that only the porcelain plaques date from that time. The rest of the desk is a copy of an earlier model, and was probably made in England only a few years before Jones bought it, although we have no clue to the particular workshop that might have made it. Ironically, when Jones left his collection to the Museum it immediately became so famous that copies of several pieces, including this one, were made, many of them by the French firm of Sormani. We know of photographs of these copies, which were trustingly made in Paris in imitation of an English copy of an earlier French piece. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1100-1882 |
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| Record created | October 12, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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