B as in Boulle

Result EUR184,269

Published on 27 February 2020, by Marielle Brie de Lagerac

Boulle marquetry combines lavish elegance with the most refined materials. The undisputed essence of the French style desired by Louis XIV, this technique has been admired for over three centuries.

André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), Louis XIV period, table cartel clock, a barometer... B as in Boulle

André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), Louis XIV period, table cartel clock, a barometer incorporated into its base, brown tortoiseshell and copper veneer, ornamented with chased and gilt bronze, the dial signed on enamelled cartouches and the base plate "Moisy à Paris", 114.5x59.5x24cm.
Drouot, 5th of June 2013. Thierry de Maigret. Cabinet Dillée.
Result: €184,269

Louis XIV’s famous cabinetmaker, André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), had so much influence on the decorative arts that his favourite technique now bears his name. Before him, Pierre Gole (1620–1684) had skilfully mastered tarsia a incastro , an early 17 th century wood marquetry technique, which he enhanced with metal. But it was Boulle who raised this art to a level of such perfection that he is often credited with inventing it. The technique consists in…

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