A RUSSIAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY OCCASIONAL TABLE

Showcasing the natural beauty of the mahogany, this beautiful table is clearly based on French and German examples of the late eighteenth century that were influenced by contemporaneous English models. Although beauty of the mahogany is highlighted by a variety of finely-chased ormolu mounts that give this lot a French appearance, the undulating upcurving stretchers make this table particularly Russian in style. Such trademark design elements were created by German cabinetmakers active in Russia during the late eighteenth century such as Christian Meyer (born c. 1750) and Heinrich Gambs (1765-1831), who supplied luxurious furniture to the Imperial Court. A glass-inlaid mahogany table of the same shape attributed to Christian Meyer is illustrated A. Chenevière: Russian Furniture: The Golden Age 1780-1840, New York, 1988, p. 97