An Elegant Ormolu-Mounted Tulipwood Dressing Table In the Louis XV Style

Object Description

An Elegant Ormolu-Mounted Tulipwood Dressing Table
In the Louis XV Style

A superb example of late 19th century ‘mobilier de luxe,’ this tulipwood-veneered dressing table, also known as a ‘coiffeuse,’ is inlaid with complex wood parquetry and dressed with ormolu mounts in the Rococo taste, supported on curved cabriole legs terminating in foliate sabots and having stylised acanthus clasps to the corners, the serpentine shaped apron enclosing three frieze drawers faced with parquetry and ormolu escutcheons; the top inset with a tooled leather and surmounted by a superstructure enclosing drawers and supporting a waisted mirror with bevelled plate within its ormolu surrounded of stylised acanthus leaf scrolls incorporating candleholders to either side.
French, circa 1890

A signed dressing table by Paul Sormani, one of Paris’ top cabinetmakers, is based on a carcass of identical proportions and size with minor variations in the ormolu mounts and superstructure.

Object Literature

Paul Sormani

Paul Sormani (1817-1877) was a preeminent Italian-born cabinetmaker who moved to Paris in 1847 and quickly established himself as a master of luxury furniture. He opened his first workshop in Paris that year, and later settled in Rue Charlot in 1867, where he produced high-quality items of standard and fantasy furniture described as “meubles de luxe.” Sormani’s exquisite craftsmanship, use of rare woods, gilded bronze decorations, and Boulle style inlays attracted the attention of the French aristocracy, including Empress Eugenie, who commissioned him for her royal residences. Sormani’s work earned him numerous awards and accolades, including medals at the Paris and London Expositions. His workshop remained in business until 1934, a testament to his lasting legacy as one of the most important ébénistes of his time.

Comparable Literature:

Payne, Christopher. Paris Furniture: The Luxury Market of the 19th Century. Château de Saint-Rémy: Éditions Monelle Hayot, 2018, p. 523, illustrating a similar dressing table by Sormani.

Object Condition

Excellent condition

Object Details