Antique French Boulle Marquetry Casket, Red Tortoiseshell and Brass with Gilt Bronze Feet, Napoleon III, c. 1850–1870

Antique French Boulle Marquetry Casket with Gilt Bronze Feet

Classic Napoleon III Boulle, and a very good example of it. The lid and front of this rectangular casket are inlaid in the technique made famous by André-Charles Boulle: engraved brass scrolls, flowers and foliage set into a ground of red tortoiseshell, the warm red glowing against the ebonized body. The lid carries a dense all-over pattern, the front a symmetrical design of scrolling leaves and blooms centered on the keyhole, and the ends repeat the motif.

Gilt bronze moldings run along the edges, and the casket stands on four cast gilt bronze scroll feet. The interior is plain polished wood, with the original brass hinges. The key is present with a green silk tassel.

Boulle marquetry had a great revival in Paris in the 1850s and 1860s, when caskets like this were made for jewels, gloves and letters and sold by the fashionable Paris retailers. The red ground is the most sought-after version, and it brings a jolt of color and shine to a bookshelf, a desk or a dressing table.

Details

Origin: France
Period: Napoleon III, c. 1850–1870
Material: Brass and red tortoiseshell Boulle marquetry, ebonized wood, gilt bronze mounts and feet
Includes: Key with tassel

Approximate Measurements

height 4" x width 10.5" x depth 4.5"

Condition

Good antique condition with wear consistent with age. Slight loss of tortoise, lock works with the key.

A rich, glowing piece of Second Empire Paris.