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Mathieu Béfort Model French Mid 19th Century Louis XVI Buffet
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Ref#C-693| Description

A dignified French Mid 19th Century Louis XVI Neoclassical Style ormolu-mounted and veneer inlaid Buffet after the model by Mathieu Béfort,

The buffet is raised by elegant toupie shaped feet with ormolu sabots and a finely etched Egg-and-Dart ormolu top caps, the frieze above with blocks ornamented with most detailed floral rosettes above each leg and a fine hammered ormolu fillet,

At the center are three doors, the central and the hand blown curved glass panes are framed within a finely etched ormolu band with intricate foliate ormolu mounts at center and each corner, the three doors have very fine foliate ormolu keyhole escutcheon; separating the doors are handsome circular fluted columns with most decorative fitted ormolu elongated chandelles and a striking Corinthian style ormolu capitals; at each end the columns are repeated, mirrored interior and one shelf;

At the apron are three drawers with a beautiful foliate keyhole escutcheon, lyre shape handles and magnificent richly chased pierced Rinceau shaped foliate ormolu designs, all within beaded ormolu frames, separating the drawers four blocks each is ornamented with Neoclassical style lyre shaped ormolu mount, above is the marble top which repeats the fine shape of the buffet.

Ref#C-693

145 x 59 x 100 cm

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Mathieu Béfort (Béfort Jeune)

(1813-1880 Paris) The French cabinet-maker, known as Béfort Jeune because he always stamped his work 'Béfort Jeune,' or had the reverse of his bronze mounts stamped BJ. He was the son of Jean-Baptiste Béfort (1783-1840), who was of Belgian origin and renowned for having supplied furniture for the apartments of the Duc d'Orléans. His older brother Bernard Béfort was active between 1836 and 1858, which was the date after which Mathieu took over the business until 1878.

Mathieu was very successful in creating pieces in the manner of Boulle and Renaissance. As a gifted ébeniste-marqueteur he specialized in Boulle-style marquetry and in particularly high quality work inspired by the work of André-Charles Boulle himself. Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener reputedly took over the Béfort firm circa 1880. The high quality of Béfort's work allowed him to become a purveyor to Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie.

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