A French late 19th/early 20th century gilt bronze mounted tulipwood, amaranth, sycamore, bois satine and marquetry table à écrire After Charles Topino, in the late Louis XV style Variously inlaid with tea pots, cups and saucers, drinking vessels, tea caddies, bottles, an ink pot and a vase of flowers, the oval tablet inlaid top within an oak leaf wreath surround, above a leather inset slide, with one short end frieze drawer, on slender keeled cabriole legs, with a platform undertier, 56.5cm wide x 39cm deep x 68.5cm high, (22in wide x 15in deep x 26 1/2in high) Footnotes: The design and marquetry of the offered lot relates to the table à écrire commissioned by Marie-Antoinette for Versailles (P. Arrizoli-Clementel, The Furniture of Versailles, T.2, Dijon, 2002. p.148) and which was almost certainly supplied by Topino between 1774-1776 and paid for from the Queen's cassette privée. It is first recorded by the ébéniste Paquet in 1784 and listed as 'une table de placage chinois' in the appartements de la Reine. This commission by the Queen is most certainly explained by her engoûment for the table à écrire supplied in 1774 to the Comte d'Artois, future Charles X, at the Château de Compiègne, also by Topino (A. Pradère, les Ébénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p.320). These tables are typically decorated with delicate marquetry of vases, urns and amphorae, tea caddies, and flower bouquets, reminiscent of Chinese coromandel lacquer and porcelain from the Kangxi period (1662-1722). This type of marquetry, omnipresent in Topino's oeuvre, was not exclusive to the ébéniste. Around 1770 this model was very fashionable and Topino repeated the design several times, embellished with an elegant and light gilt-bronze mounts. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (The Packengers, Unit 9, Abbey Mead Industrial Park, Brooker Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1HU, England, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 10 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing