Fall-Front Secretaire
ca. 1775 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The marquetry on this desk would have been in the height of fashion when it was made in Paris in about 1775. The maker used several woods, with mother-of-pearl to add sparkling highlights. When they were new, the panels would have been much brighter, with some areas stained with colours. The mellow golden-brown that we associate with antique furniture is the result of fading and changes of colour, caused by light and oxidisation of the surface of the wood.
French furniture of this date should be stamped with the cabinet-maker's name, but that rule (which had been instituted in Paris in 1743 by the guild) was not always strictly adhered to. This piece carries no maker’s mark but is branded 'EHB', which indicates that it went through the workshops of Edward Holmes Baldock, a dealer and furniture restorer who worked in Hanway Street, London, from about 1805 until his death in 1845.
French furniture of this date should be stamped with the cabinet-maker's name, but that rule (which had been instituted in Paris in 1743 by the guild) was not always strictly adhered to. This piece carries no maker’s mark but is branded 'EHB', which indicates that it went through the workshops of Edward Holmes Baldock, a dealer and furniture restorer who worked in Hanway Street, London, from about 1805 until his death in 1845.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 15 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Tulipwood, decorated with marquetry of various woods and mother-of-pearl, Gilt bronze mounts |
| Brief description | veneered in marquetry of tulipwood and other woods on a carcase of oak, with panels including architectural marquetry and trophies of musical instruments. Gilt-bronze mounts. Slab of Spanish brocatelle marble. Stamped EHB |
| Physical description | Fall-front secrétaire veneered with tulipwood, with marquetry of various woods and mother-of-pearl. The marquetry panels are set within oval panels on the front of the secrétaire. The secrétaire is mounted in gilt bronze and set with a Spanish brocatelle marble slab.The interior of the upper section is set with compartments and 7 small drawers, the front of these with marquetry in various woods depicting Chinese objects. The lower section is fitted inside with three large drawers set asymmetrically below a recess. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | EHB (Branded on back of object towards top. This is the mark of Edward Holmes Baldock (1771-1845), a furniture dealer and restorer who specialised in restoring and improving French furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | In the collection of John Jones before 1882. It was restored and improved by the dealer/maker/restorer Edward Holmes Baldcock (1777-1845, active from 1805), who added large pendant mounts on the front corners. These were removed by Museum conservators, probably before the 1960s. They were separated from the piece and remained unrecognized until 2012. They are now in store. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The marquetry on this desk would have been in the height of fashion when it was made in Paris in about 1775. The maker used several woods, with mother-of-pearl to add sparkling highlights. When they were new, the panels would have been much brighter, with some areas stained with colours. The mellow golden-brown that we associate with antique furniture is the result of fading and changes of colour, caused by light and oxidisation of the surface of the wood. French furniture of this date should be stamped with the cabinet-maker's name, but that rule (which had been instituted in Paris in 1743 by the guild) was not always strictly adhered to. This piece carries no maker’s mark but is branded 'EHB', which indicates that it went through the workshops of Edward Holmes Baldock, a dealer and furniture restorer who worked in Hanway Street, London, from about 1805 until his death in 1845. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1111-1882 |
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| Record created | March 9, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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