A RUSSIAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED, BRASS INLAID, AMARANTH AND MAHOGANY BUREAU PLAT

Heinrich Gambs (1765-1831) began his career in Germany under David Roentgen, but later moved to Russia where he set up a furniture factory after his teacher’s highly successful model. His pieces were initially clearly inspired by Roentgen's work, but he soon developed his own highly precious style known for its elegant shapes, of which the present lot is an excellent example. Showcasing the natural beauty of the mahogany, this table, like most of Gambs' works, is based on French and German examples of the late eighteenth century that were influenced by contemporaneous English models. The repetitive geometric brass-inlay running along the top and the bottom of the drawers is typical of Gambs' oeuvre. By 1793, Gambs was a leading figure amongst the cabinet-makers of St. Petersburg, and a particular favorite of Empress Maria Feodorovna, whose patronage enabled him to become the principle supplier for the Imperial residences of Pavlosk, Tsarkoe Selo, and the Winter Palace.