Early 18th Century Furniture

The interior painted with two spotted horses at play beneath a willow tree, the exterior with a cafe-au-lait glaze. Tea saucer and teabowl set. Period : Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Peri...

This is an antique lithography map of Durham. An English, framed engraving of cartographic interest, dating to the early 18th century and later, circa 1720. Superb lithography of Du...

18th century Arms of Burgundy fireback, with date of production 1714. The fleurs-de-lys and arms are partially truncated during the French Revolution. The condition is good, no crac...

Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...

Exquisite Danish Baroque, circa 1700, mirror or looking glass having carved giltwood frame with dramatic foliate cresting and rectangular cushion-frame with foliate and seashell moti...

Our monumental pair of 18th century candelabra of French origin depict Roman neoclassical male and female holding cornucopia, finely carved from white marble, with four light ormolu bronze candleholders of foliate design with fruits, nuts and grape bunches. Provenance: Arne Schlesch & José Juárez...

Excellent pair of mid 18th century Delftware plates with a rare geometrical decoration of a stylized flower with foliate scrolls. Border adorn...

Beautiful oil painting on canvas depicting a gentleman belonging to the ancient chivalric order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, founded in 1572 by the House of Savoy. The protagonist ...

The central floral motif, possibly representing peonies or another culturally significant flora, is surrounded by intricate patterns and border designs typical of the period. Pieces ...

An early 18th century English oak center table with good color having two plank top over baluster turned legs joined by deep rectangular section profiled box stretcher.

A late 1700s Georgian tall chest of six graduated drawers in oak with pierced batwing brasses and beaded drawers on high bracket feet.

An exceptional early 18th Century Queen Anne period Walnut Chest On Stand / Highboy , dating to 1702-14 . Impeccable colour and patina . Beautiful figured walnut veneers with delica...

A most enchanting Queen Anne period burr walnut bureau of highly desirable small proportions and superb colour. The herringbone and cross-banded fall enclosing a fully fitted stepped interior with small drawers and central cupboard door all cross...

Beautiful carved and gilded wooden mirror, dating from the very early 18th century and originally from Livorno. Very fine gilding and carvings in the cymatium. Peculiarity is in th...

A Late Federal Cherrywood Desk and Bookcase, Circa 1830. This unique piece includes a folding desk and make a fabulous looking compact desk with plenty of storage in bookcase above. This was possibly a clerk's desk. Includes plenty of storage and desk...

American sampler of silk floss on linen with a modest zig-zag border framing an uppercase letter alphabet, followed by a cursive alphabet, a lower case alphabet, and the numerals one...

ITALIAN SCHOOL "TOBIAS AND THE ARCHANGEL RAFAEL" 18TH CENTURY Oil on canvas made in the 18th century, It represents the moment in which the archangel Raphael instructs a young Tobit...

Beautiful and refined Venetian chest of drawers, characterized by a wavy front veneered in walnut briar and maple briar. It has a linear shelf base whic...

Outstanding Antique Table / Desk, Italian Walnut Trestle Library, Carved, Border, 18th /19th Century, 1700's-1800's! This antique library table/desk is a stunning example of Italian...

These set of original antique engravings are from Bernard de Montfaucon's "L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures" (Antiquity Explained and Represented in Figures), which is a comprehensive collection of engravings illustrating various aspects of ancient life. This work was a significant contribution to the study of antiquity in the early 18th century. The specific volume these images are taken from likely deals with artifacts such as lamps, which were common in burial practices and other rituals of ancient cultures. This collage features two pages from the 18th-century publication just mentioned, displaying a series of intricately detailed engravings of ancient lamps...

A rare and unusual pair of walnut Anglo-Dutch side chairs with a saddle chest top rail over a veneered back splat, the stiles carved with bell flowers, having a molded, balloon-shape...

A nice example of a George II bracket clock in an ebonized mahogany case with brass feet made by clockmaker Edward Browne of Norwich. Edward Browne took over the shop of clockmaker J...

The central motif features a figure, likely a scholar, seated in a tranquil outdoor setting. This person is holding what seems to be a fan, a common accessory for scholars in traditi...

19th Century Louis XVI Commode. gorgeous burl and hardware in great shape. See pics

These set of original antique engravings are from Bernard de Montfaucon's "L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures" (Antiquity Explained and Represented in Figures), which is a comprehensive collection of engravings illustrating various aspects of ancient life. This work was a significant contribution to the study of antiquity in the early 18th century. The specific volume these images are taken from likely deals with artifacts such as lamps, which were common in burial practices and other rituals of ancient cultures. This collage showcases three pages from Bernard de Montfaucon's seminal work "L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures." Each page features detailed engravings of ancient lamps...

18th century Chinese bronze duck incense burner, Qing period Please note that one foot is missing, broken off, see detailed image.  

Slate sundial engraved and decorated with cornucopias, shells and a crown topped with the motto "In Hoc Signo Vinces", which can be translated as "by this sign you will overcome" and...

A fine pair of Chinese porcelain vases, c. 1700, Kangxi Period, ormolu mounted. The trumpet shaped vases, hand painted in Imari style, with exotic birds amongst flowering plants, abo...

the shaped lift-top with turreted corners all raised on cabriole supports with lappet carving and in pad feet; adorned overall with seaweed marquetry inlay; the hinged top supported ...

C1700 small centre table oak with centre stretcher nice turned legs and 2 piece top all of good colour and patination Size 68cms long 48deep 70high

This fine piece of porcelain, a plate from the Qing Dynasty, is a testament to the enduring craftsmanship of Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China. It presents a classic blue an...

Pair of Circa 1800 Period French Directoire Fruitwood Fauteuil Armchairs. Upholstery in light blue striated fabric with white sprigs. Coil spring seat foundation. Aged finish.

18th century French Louis XIV period fireback with the Arms of France. A coat of arms of the House of Bourbon, an originally French royal house that became a major dynasty in Europe....

This 1722 engraving portrays an ancient lamp, intricately designed with the scene of tauroctony, which is a depiction of Mithras slaying a bull, a central...

Antique French Regence chest of drawers France Kingwood early 18th century Dimensions: H x W x D: 84 x 130 x 65 cm Description: Repr...

The image features an 18th-century engraving from Bernard de Montfaucon's "L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures." It depicts a classical lamp in the form of a mounted ride...

Carved stone architectural element depicting a uniformed rider on horseback in a formal pose. Carved from a single block the full round carving includes the horse from just behind th...

The rectangular top with molded edge atop a conforming frame raised on shaped legs terminating in carved hoof feet

* Set Item(3 vases) During Yongzheng era, such miniatures were appreciated for their craftsmanship and aesthetic value. They were also often used in scholars' studios as part of the...

Antique map titled 'Nova et Vera Exhibitio Geographica Insularum Marianarum (..)'. Rare and very attractive map of the Mariana Islands, Philippines, Ko...

An early eighteenth century herringbone-banded figured walnut chest on stand with concave molded drawer to the cornice above two small and three long graduated drawers, the base fit...

Pair of marbled oval frames, Venetian, Louis XIV° Elegant pair of oval marbled frames in shades of cream and green. Veneto, end 17th early 18th century Measurements cm: light 69 ...

There is a fantastical quality to this casket lockbox with its dramatic presentation. It has brass rings with lions' (or wolves) heads and a latch/escutcheon. The size and complexity of the latch suggest that it was designed to keep prying hands away. But it has a very interesting look that many people will like. The style and appearance suggest Continental origins, and appraisers say it was produced in the 18th century or earlier. The baroque casket...

This illustration is from Eleazar Albin's work, as indicated by the signature "E. Albin del.", meaning "drawn by Eleazar Albin". It is a plate from his series on natural history, spe...

Antique period American Colonial Shaker rocking chair retaining an early rush seat and period rails. Hand whittled spindles, posts and rungs.

For those with discerning taste in French antiques, this is a must see. This beautifully delicate etagere with intricate marquetry, a process of inlay that gained popularity in Franc...

Dutch Delft Chinoiserie plate depicting, in a Chinese landscape with a man in a boat, sailing past a house while bird in the air is overlooking the scene. Beautiful chinoiserie trace...

Fir dowry chest, early 1700s, origins South Tirol, Italy. Original hardware, early 1700s, original painting of the period. Inner drawer. Conservatively restored, Good condition. Ref...

In the center, a vase adorned with a floral pattern suggests appreciation for nature. Notably, there is an object resembling a Go board, indicative of the intellectual pursuits favor...

Pair of Export Porcelain Armorial Soup Plates China, c. 1731 Centering the arms of Yonge, enclosed by the motto of the order of the Bath, flanked by a boar and griffon, surmounted by...

Modelled as a yellow bird, green deer, and yellow monkey grouped together on a brown-glazed stand. These brush rest with a bird, a monkey and a deer probably refers to the rebus 'may you receive high rank and emolument' or 'general long life, happiness and wealth' Period : Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period Production Date : C 1725 Made in : Jingdezhen Destination : Netherland Found/Acquired : Southeast Asia , South China Sea, Ca Mau...

This image is a botanical illustration by Eleazar Albin, from "A Natural History of English Insects." The dedication at the bottom reads: "To the most Noble Mary Preston Dutchess of...

The shaped brèche d'Alep marble top, above a bombé form body with two short and two long drawers spaced with brass insets and with bronze pulls, the corners mounted with bronze Grecian mask...

Gliding with a pavilion terrace, bamboo fence, and low table festooned with flowers and draped with curtains. Period : Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period Date : c. 1725 Made in : Jingdezhen Destination : Netherland Found/Acquired : Southeast Asia , South China Sea, Ca Mau...

Young Vestal reviving the sacred fire. Oil on canvas, French school of the 1st half of the 18th c., follower of Jean RAOUX 1677-1734. In ancient Rome, the Vestals or Vestal Virgins w...

Rare early 18th century Blue Delftware platter with Daniel Marot style decoration of bird and insects amidst flowers and foliage. Beautiful border decoration of rich foliage, flowers...

A monumental 18th century French Régence period chateau armoire handcrafted of solid walnut by talented artisans in Lyon, circa 1720, having a chapeau de gendarme crown atop an intri...

The green-glazed beasts seated on their haunches, a short spout beside their turned heads, their mane and tail splashed with yellow or brown glaze Period : Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng P...