An Important Napoléon III Porcelain-Mounted Mahogany Bonheur Du Jour

Object Description

A Rare and Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Sèvres Style Porcelain-Mounted Mahogany and Lemon Wood Bonheur Du Jour, Attributed to Édouard Kreisser,

This magnificent bonheur du jour has a cabinet superstructure above a desk base with central pullout frieze drawer fitted with a writing slide. The precious timbers are mounted with finely cast and chased gilt-bronzes and some twenty-eight Sèvres style porcelain plaques. The top of the cabinet has a central raised socle for displaying a vase, bust or object. The three cupboard doors are framed with large Sèvres style plaques: the central door with an oval plaque with an Rococo fête galante of the marriage proposal; the flanking doors with shepherdesses. The sides of the cabinet and the top of the desk with porcelain plaques en suite. The central frieze drawer with a ribbon-tied lambrequin frame enclosing a three scene porcelain plaque fronting the pullout writing slide, flanked to each side by a drawer. On four fluted tapering legs headed with ionic capitals and joined by a platform stretcher with concave from beneath a central entablature or socle.

France, Circa 1855.

Object History

This bonheur du jour can be firmly attributed to Édouard Kreisser. Listed and illustrated as a work by Édouard Kreisser in Christopher Payne’s seminal book on nineteenth century furniture ‘Paris Furniture, the luxury market of the 19th century’ this firm attribution is based upon comparison to signed pieces. Most notably this bonheur du jour incorporates the same distinctive design of lambrequin framed drawer and tapering fluted legs with ionic capitals as the famous table in the V&A Museum London which was commissioned by Queen Victoria as a Christmas present for Prince Albert in 1855. These elements also feature to a Sèvres style porcelain-mounted table illustrated by Payne in Paris Furniture, page 408.

Object Literature

Payne, Christopher, ‘Paris Furniture, the luxury market of the 19th century’, Éditions Monelle Hayot, Paris, p. 409 (illustrated).

Object Details