Object Description
Antique French mahogany and ormolu cabinet by Grohé Frères
French, c. 1860
Height 112cm, width 124cm, depth 52cm
The well-known firm of cabinetmakers, Grohé Frères crafted this superb cabinet in France around 1860.
This furniture piece is topped with an eye-catching marble top, veined with colourful patterns in various shades of cream, red and orange. An elegant ormolu frieze is mounted below the marble. Below the frieze are three drawers, the front of each beautifully adorned with intricate ormolu mounts. The escutcheon on the central drawer includes a rendering of grape vines and crossed thyrsus. The two side drawers are mounted with ormolu mounts depicting laurel wreaths.
The central part of the cabinet is made up of three storage compartments. The largest door, found in the centre of the piece, is topped with a rich flower and foliage garland spread across the width of the door. Underneath is a flower-filled urn further decorated with laurel leaves and trumpets. The two smaller doors are mounted with ribbon ties, garlands, foliage and musical instruments all expertly cast from ormolu. All three doors are framed in two ormolu borders as well as square mahogany mounts topped with ormolu detailing. The drawers and cupboards are lockable. When opened, two shelves are revealed in each storage compartment.
The piece stands on two bun feet, each wrapped in ormolu acanthus leaves and two rectangular mahogany feet. The cabinet is stamped ‘GROHÉ A PARIS’.
Grohé Frères operated between 1827 and 1884 and was run by two brothers, Guillaume and Jean-Michel Frères. They produced furniture pieces for French and British royalty, for example, Queen Victoria. The pieces were of the highest quality and the cabinet in Mayfair Gallery’s collection is a testament to their exquisite cabinetmaking skills.
This cabinet is an exceptional representation of some of the best French 19th century cabinetmaking and would make an elegant addition to the appropriate interior setting.