A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY BIBLIOTHEQUE

Caspar Schneider, maître in 1786.

Born in Augsbourg, Schneider moved to Paris at an unknown date. Before long he was working as a ouvrier libre laborer in the Faubourg-Saint-Antoine during the 1780's. One of his earliest recorded commissions was for the Royal Garde-Meuble when he supplied a secretaire même proportion qu'un fait par M. Riesener... with mounts by Thomire in October of 1785. This early documented commission demonstrates Schneider's conscious emulation and imitation of the designs of the elder Riesener's oeuvre which paralleled in many ways that of Weisweiler. Upon the death of Martin Carlin, Schneider married his widow Marie-Catherine, herself the sister of celebrated ébéniste Jean-François Oeben.

This bibliothèque bears a label for 'The Marchioness Camden' and was almost certainly historically at the Marquess Camden's seat Bayham Abbey in Kent which held an important collection of French furniture including a gueridon by Adam Weisweiler, acquired from the Daguerre sale at Christie's, London in 1791 by Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (1714-1794) and sold Christie's, London, 5 July 2012, lot 24 (£289,250, including premium).