Object Description
An Empire style ormolu-mounted mahogany library or bibiotheque from circa 1860. The breakfront bookcase with three doors housing trellis brass workings displays fine quality ormolu mounts in the corner sections of the Greek goddess of Pheme, the personification of fame and renown. Surmounted by a frieze adorned with ormolu mounts depicting a central swan arrangement flanked by griffin arrangements. The lower section of the doors decorated with mounts depicting a chariot pulled by butterflies. The doors flanked by fine ormolu cast caryatides à la Grèque, the mahogany body leading to their feet found on the door bottoms. The entire large and impressive cabinet sitting on bronze claw feet.
Not only has very fine workmanship gone into this piece but the versatile pictorial vocabulary used adds a further dimension to this library. It refers to the classical education of a scholar and units both iconography and craftmanship into a delightful and impressive piece of furniture.