An Empire Console Table Attributed To Jacob-Desmalter Et Cie

A very important and superb quality Empire gilt bronze mounted parcel-gilt thuya wood and verde antico marble console table attributed to Jacob-Desmalter et Cie with extremely fine gilt bronze mounts attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire, from the Tuileries Palace. The rectangular marble top above a conformingly shaped frieze decorated with berried laurel mounts and centred by a finely cast medallion portraying the head of Jupiter with flowing hair, flanked at either end by similar medallion heads, to the left that of Mars with flowing beard wearing a Trojan helmet decorated with a golden oak leaf victor's wreath and to the right by Hector with long hair and sideburns wearing a Trojan helmet decorated with a similar golden oak leaf wreath, the frieze upon a pair of giltwood winged lion monopodia supports on a reverse breakfront platform, the inside front top corner bearing a Garde-Meuble paper label inscribed in ink with the letter 'T' and inventory number '84', the underside of the centre top support rail stamped with the marque au feu showing a crown above the letter 'T' within an oval, the inside front rail bearing an illegible paper inventory label with an indistinct number, the rear back rail bearing painted red inventory initials and numbers 'M.G.M. E-12550 4A' and finally the underneath of the base bearing a printed paper label with the words 'Sypher & Co, Successors to D. Marley, Antiques and Articles of Vertu, 739 & 741 Broadway, New York'.

Paris, date circa 1805
Height 105 cm, width 114 cm, depth 51 cm.

This magnificent console is not only an outstanding piece in its own right but can also be appreciated on several other levels. Firstly it was almost certainly made by the celebrated firm of Parisian ébénistes Jacob-Desmalter et Cie while the mounts can be attributed to the preeminent bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), who were both strongly patronised by Napoleon Bonaparte. Secondly we know that it once stood at one of Napoleon's main Imperial residences at the Tuileries Palace since there are several labels and marks on the underside of the piece to confirm this important provenance as well as other interesting labels and marks that tell of its subsequent history. And thirdly the inspiration for the work, like many others by Jacob-Desmalter, was almost certainly based on designs made by Napoleon's favourite architects and interior designers Percier and Fontaine.