Louis XIV Style Inkwell - Boulle Marquetry And Ormolu Bronze - Circa 1850

Large boulle marquetry desk inkwell (tortoise shell on a red and brass background) richly decorated with chiseled ormolu bronzes (gilded with fine gold). It includes 4 compartments, two of which are concave in shape and two cutlery, the latter hiding the crystal inkwells. Louis XIV style from the Napoleon III period, circa 1850.

Boulle marquetry was brought back into fashion in the mid-19th century, at the very end of the Louis Philippe period and the beginning of the Second Empire. We find spectacular furniture and objects in Boulle marquetry and many productions with rounded neo rocailles shapes that seem a little "bloated" to us. We have selected this spectacular and luxurious inkwell for its very "Louis XIV" shapes, which seem to us more elegant and worthy of being associated with a Grand Siècle decor from the 17th or 18th century. In addition to the Louis XIV proportions which are perfect, our inkwell is also characterized by its luxurious finishes which make it a high-end production of this kind: all the bronzes are finely chiseled and gilded with fine gold. While many cabinetmakers who made furniture in Boulle marquetry relied on red and gold colors to create a luxury effect but often neglected bronzes by mounting mediocre models (left raw and not gilded), our inkwell has very beautiful bronzes with beautiful gilding.

Excellent condition, no lack of decoration or accident, complete with crystal glasses and lids, beautiful gilding.

dimensions: 33 cm long and 21 cm wide.