Boulle Marquetry Writing Box, Munich ca. 1720, ca. 1720

Contact Kollenburg Antiquairs BV

Dealer

Kollenburg Antiquairs BV

Price

€ 8.500 ($ 10 854.5 U.S. dollars)

Status

Available

Period

ca. 1720

Material

walnut veneered with tortoise-shell, pewter, brass

Description

This stationary box, that can be locked, has an interior with compartments for paper, an inkwell, a sander and quills. The outside is decorated in ‘Boulle’-technique. The top of the lid is decorated with ribbons of tortoise-shell on a brown and red base, mounted in tin. The box is richly decorated with tortoise shell, embellished with brass and pewter ornaments, framed in brass borders.

This box was arguably manufactured in the Boulle-workshop of Willem de Grof in Munich. Willem de Grof (1676-?) originated from Antwerp and served the French court of Louis XIV from 1708 onwards. There Elector Max Emmanuel of Bavaria got acquainted with de Grof’s work. The Elector invited de Grof to come to work in Munich. In 1716 de Grof satisfied the Elector’s request and set up a Boulle-workshop and a bronze foundry where he made bronze sculptures for the Bavarian court. The pedestals of these sculptures were often decorated with Boulle technique.

Literature: Frans Defour, De Belgische meubelkunst in Europa, Vlaams en Waals vakmanschap over de grenzen heen, Roeselare z.j.