A NORTH EUROPEAN PLUM-PUDDING MAHOGANY (ACAJOU MOUCHETÉ) SERVITEUR MUET

With its simple and elegant form executed in luxurious mahogany without ormolu mounts, this table relates to the oeuvre of one of the most innovative Parisian cabinet-makers of the late eighteenth century; Joseph Gengenbach, called Canabas. He specialized in small pieces of furniture in the fashionable goût anglais and produced mainly utilitarian and practical pieces often of novel conception. Canabas is known for having focused predominantly on small functional pieces, which could be used for service without the need for servants. This table’s delicate mahogany gallery relates this lot to a mahogany serviteur-muet stamped by Canabas sold Christie’s, Paris, 4 November 2015, lot 294 (€47,100), as well as a pair of hanging selves sold Christie’s, New York, 24 November 2009, lot 166. A further pair of seviteurs muets of this model is in an American private collection.