An empire ormolu-mounted mahogany secretaire attributed to JACOB FRERES

The rectangular grey marble top above a frieze centred by a rosette flanked by scrolling foliage and anthemions, The facade decorated with half-cornucopias in relief, opening with a drawer, a flap revealing a theater with small columns inlaid with a perspective checkerboard, darkened with ice and with uprights in linked bundles, two lower doors decorated by a centred laurel wreath pierced by a ribbon-tied arrow and flanked by cornucopiae with foliate-cast rings, with English-style drawers, ,beautiful gilt bronze ornamentation with Minerva decoration, laurel wreaths, palmettes.

An almost identical commode by Jacob Frères was sold Christie’s London, 10 July 2008, lot 11 (GBP 145,250), most certainly acquired by the Duchess of Dino around 1825 for the Château de Rochecotte.