Attributed to the Maison MILLET in Paris - An all-sided step - Lot 132

Attributed to the Maison MILLET in Paris - An all-sided stepped desk in veneered wood adorned with a latticework marquetry, it opens with three drawers in the waistband, the step revealing drawers and adorned with a clock surmounted by a helmeted putto holding a sword in his hand in gilded bronze. Rich ornamentation of gilded bronzes, such as the side candelabra supported by bronze putti, pull handles, falls adorned with female busts, foliage and rocaille and sabots (minor veneer damage, one tap to be refixed). Louis XV style, late 19th century 140 x 117 x 65 cm Model reproduced in Camille MESTDAGH, L'ameublement d'Art français 1850-1900, p. 212. For a similar desk: - BONHAMS, July 5, 2012, London New Bond Street, lot N° 193. - CHRISTIES, October 24, 2006, New York, lot N° 474. Provenance: - in the same French family since the beginning. The Maison Millet, a renowned cabinetmaker and bronzemaker, was founded at 11 rue Jacques-Coeur, Paris, by Théodore Millet in 1853. The company specialized in "meubles et bronzes d'art, genre ancien et moderne", our pendulum desk is a masterpiece from this house, clearly demonstrating the exceptional craftsmanship of their artisans and their talent for high-quality cabinetmaking and the successful reinterpretation of the Louis XV style. The company enjoyed great success throughout the 19th century, winning a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889 and the Grand Prix in 1900. In March 1902, Millet was commissioned to copy Marie-Antoinette's large jewelry cabinet for the Versailles museum.