A NAPOLEON III ORMOLU AND PIETRA DURE-MOUNTED EBONIZED GUERIDON

Georges-Alphonse-Bonifacio Monbro (d. 1884), the eldest son of ébéniste Georges-Marie-Paul-Vital-Bonifacio (d. 1841), saw his father's business become one of the leading Paris manufacturers of fine furniture. Monbro's prestigious register of clients, including Louis-Philippe and the Palais de Saint-Cloud, secured their station among the haut luxe cabinetmakers of the mid-19th century and their popularity was underlined by the opening of London premises at Frith Street, Soho Square, in 1861. The firm had a particular reputation for works incorporating Florentine pietre dure and their diverse selection of high quality pieces, such as the present lot, became the cornerstone of the firm's display at both the Exposition des produits de l'industrie française and the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1855.