Overview
A fine French late 19th century bonheur du jour in richly figured kingwood with ormolu mounts throughout and Sèvres-style porcelain plaques. The bonheur du jour - literally, the joy of the day - was the most personal piece of furniture a French cabinet-maker could produce. This example fulfils that intention completely: functioning as a writing desk, a display cabinet, and a decorative statement simultaneously.
Key Features
- French, late 19th century - kingwood and ormolu throughout
- Richly figured kingwood veneers in bold chevron pattern - continuous across all surfaces
- Two Sèvres-style porcelain plaques - hand-painted naturalistic bird scenes on bleu céleste ground
- Elaborate ormolu surrounds of scalloped turquoise and gilded acanthus to the plaques
- Upper glazed cabinet with deep blue velvet-lined shelves
- Three small drawers with original ormolu ring pulls at desk level
- Pull-out blue velvet writing slide with lockable central drawer below
- Serpentine form with cabriole legs terminating in ormolu sabots
- All mounts original - no replacements or losses
Craftsmanship & Detail
The kingwood veneers are laid in a bold chevron pattern across every surface — a technique that requires the cabinet-maker to carefully mirror each leaf of timber so that the figuring flows continuously around the curves of the serpentine form. In lesser work, this pattern breaks at the joints. Here, it does not. The ormolu mounts — cast in gilt bronze and applied with precision - are exceptional in their density and quality: Rococo foliate scrolls cascade across the corners, a ribbon-tied cartouche crowns the upper cabinet, and acanthus-wrapped sabots protect each cabriole leg at the foot. The two Sèvres-style porcelain plaques mounted to the lower doors are the defining detail - hand-painted with naturalistic bird scenes and set within elaborate ormolu surrounds, they transform the lower section from a cabinet into something closer to a painting. The turquoise bleu céleste ground is characteristic of the finest French decorative porcelain of this period and increasingly sought after by collectors.
- Lee Hawkins, Hawkins Antiques · Est. 1960
