RARE GUERIDON of round shape in mahogany... - Lot 233 - Osenat

RARE GUERIDON of round shape in mahogany and mahogany veneer, the tray rests on a cut crystal shaft supported by chased bronze elements, finished by a tripod base surmounted by lying lions in patinated bronze and finished by casters. Sea green marble top. Stamped B. Molitor Restoration period (maintenance restorations) H : 78 cm - Diam : 63 cm This pedestal table listed under n°144 in Ulrich Leben's book, Molitor, Ebéniste de Louis XVI à Louis XVIII, Paris, 1992, p. 202, remains the only example known to date executed with cut crystal, by Molitor. Under the Restoration, the size of the crystal makes enormous progress, that it is Baccarat, Saint Louis or the crucible, then one entrusts to directors as Mrs. Désarnaux-Charpentier for the dressing table of the duchess of Berry whose crystal was cut and assembled in its workshops of the Royal Palace: A real technical feat presented at the Exhibition of Industrial Products in Paris in 1819, which impressed contemporaries and perhaps influenced Molitor for the execution of this pedestal table. We would like to thank Mr. Ulrich Leben for confirming that, to his knowledge, this pedestal table is the only one with cut crystal in Molitor's work and for pointing out that the lions were inspired by a chenet model (reproduced opposite).