A Napoleon III period transitional bookcase, circa 1880, the…
click the photo to enlarge
A Napoleon III period transitional bookcase, circa 1880, the marble plate top, above a frieze drawer and two doors with wire mesh and glazing, above a slide out leather inset writing surface. The two lower doors both decorated with musical trophy marquetry, and decorative banded inlay overall. 158 cm high, 83 cm wide, 40 cm deep

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Frieze - An architectural term denoting the flat, shaped or convex horizontal surface of furniture, between the architrave and the cornice, usually found on a cabinet or bookcase, or on desks and tables where it may include drawers, the area between the top and the legs. In ceramics, the term refers to the banding, of usually a repeating pattern, on the rims of plates and vases.
  • Parquetry - Parquetry is inlay laid in geometric patterns, the contrast being achieved by the opposing angles of the grain and veneers. The herringbone pattern is the most commonly used in flooring, but this is almost never seen in furniture - the patterns used are more complex and unlike flooring, can include several different varieties of timber.
  • Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
  • Marquetry - In marquetry inlay, contrasting woods, and other materials such as ivory, shell and metal are inlaid either as panels or in a single continuous sheet over the surface of the piece. The design may be straightforward, such as a shell pattern or a basket of flowers, or it may be infinitely complex, with swirling tendrils of leaves, flowers and foliage, such as one finds, for example, in the "seaweed" patterns on longcase clocks of the William and Mary and Queen Anne periods.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

An outstanding Regency mahogany bookcase, with swan neck above a pair of astragal glazed doors, the lower section with secretaire drawer, above graduated drawers on paw feet. Approx. 227 cm high, 106 cm wide, 52 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Chinese black lacquer cabinet with carved shell and bone Embellishment 20th century. Height 150 cm, width 100 cm, depth 51 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Chinese hardwood sideboard, the doors and drawers carved in relief with birds amongst prunus branches. Width 182.5 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A pair of small round-corner tapered hardwood cabinets, Yuanjiaogui, (2), each with protruding top supported on rounded corner posts, enclosing a pair of panelled doors, the upper panels pierced with ruyi motifs above plain recessed panels, the interior of

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.