COMMODE DE BUFFON

ATTRIBUTED TO MARTIN CARLIN (1730-1785) Master in Paris in 1766 RARE GREEK CHEST OF DRAWERS KNOWN AS "COMMODE DE BUFFON Louis XVI period, around 1766. Rosewood and amaranth marquetry, turquoise marble. H. 98 cm W. 134 cm D. 64 cm With a key. The passport n°237425 will be delivered to the buyer. This important chest of drawers comes from the castle of Montbard (Côte-d'Or) property of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count of Buffon (1707-1788), Intendant of the King's Garden on July 26, 1739. Buffon undertook important works between 1733 and 1742 in his castle and lived there from 1749 to 1788. He became the first Count of Buffon in 1774. It seems that this chest of drawers arrived at the château between 1766 and 1770. It will remain in the Montbard property until the death of the Intendant. It will be Henri Nadault de Buffon, great grand-nephew of the naturalist who will inherit the property. In 1870, the city of Montbard bought the abandoned castle. - First transfer: From March 5 to 10, 1890, at the death of Henri Nadault de Buffon, the furniture of the castle is dispersed. The chest of drawers was sold under N° 578 by the Georges Petit Gallery and acquired by Baron Seillière. - Second transfer: Dispersion of the important Collection of the late Mr. Baron Seillière at the castle of Mello, Galerie Georges Petit, on Thursday March 9, 1911 (Expert M. Mannheim) under the n° 87 of the catalog, p 38. Dim H. 97 cm L. 135 cm) Mention on the catalog : " From the sale of the castle of Montbard and would have belonged to Buffon " The chest of drawers found a buyer for 91 000 F (approx. 370 000 € of 2022) acquired by " Esmond ". A precision concerning the marble is found in the catalog: "Tablet in turquoise marble", it is indeed the one which covers it today. - Finally, this exceptional piece of furniture, which was part of two important collections, arrived at Bernard Steinitz's. Bernard Tapie will buy it from the antique dealer among his first purchases for his hotel in Paris. The chest of drawers, known as the "Buffon" chest of drawers, does not bear a stamp. It is not the only exceptional piece of furniture without a mark or stamp. This model with five drawers and two doors is in marquetry with a squared background enclosing quatrefoils on the sides and the projection of the front. The small panels on each side of the handles are in the model of interlacing with quatrefoils. The panel surrounds, the base belt and the high belt are in rosewood. Only the lower belt and the feet are edged with a net of amaranth. The decoration of bronzes is sumptuous: - The belt, is framed by a remarkable frieze of posts. - On the four uprights, a fall decorated with piastres. - The hooves with acanthus, ended by a lion's paw extending into a plate inverted diamond gilded and amati center. - The bronze apron is an Indian mask with acanthus. - The pulling hands draped in natural. - On the sides, again an apron decorated with openwork scrolls. - Each panel, three in front and one on each side, is framed with a molding. Finally, the turquoise blue marble top, with original redent. Bibliography and References : This chest of drawers is one of the four known "à la grecque" models whose front is divided into three panels topped by a frieze, the handles in drapery and the bronze of the apron with Indian head : - Luigi Anton Laura Collection, Sotheby's and Poulain-le Fur sale, June 2001, pages 88 and 89, lot N° 52 : " Important Transitional period commode attributed to Carlin circa 1765 ". H. 89 cm W. 147 cm. D. 58 cm, estimated at € 535 000 / 760 000. - The one appearing in Pierre Kjellberg's book, "Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe siècle", published by L'Amateur, page 163 (color photograph). - The one from the Collection of Madame Riahi, sale Ader, Picard, Tajan, Hôtel George V, June 23, 1988, lot N° 21. H. 89 cm W. 143 cm D. 61 cm. Finally, this piece of furniture, in a superb condition, was the first important purchase to constitute his collection by Bernard Tapie. A FINE AND RARE LOUIS XVI "À LA GRECQUE CHEST-OF-DRAWERS, CIRCA 1766 Rosewood and amaranth marquetry, "bleu turquin" marble. H. 38,5 in. L. 52,3 in. D. 25,2. Key associated. Expert : Patrick de BUTTET I patrick.de-buttet557@orange.fr