A Regence Style Bureau Plat After The Model By Charles Cressent
Brighton, United Kingdom
£63,551 per item
Shopping at Vinterior
-
14-day return guarantee
-
Outstanding customer service
-
Secure payment
-
Buyer protection
-
Trees planted for every purchase
Item details
Height
80.5 cm
Width
185.0 cm
Depth
94.5 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
Bureau Plat à Têtes De Guerriers Antiques‘ - An Important Regence Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Bureau Plat After The Model by Charles Cressent.
This large and elegant bureau plat has a gilt-tooled leather writing surface with gilt-bronze encadrement and scrolling shell mount clasps. The shaped frieze has three drawers to the front and dummy drawers to the rear. The sides are centred by finely cast female masks and the cabriole legs headed by warriors with Roman armour and terminating in acanthus-cast sabots.
This magnificent bureau plat ‘à têtes de guerriers antiques’ is after the model by celebrated Ancien Régime cabinetmaker and sculptor, Charles Cressent (1685-1768) and the quality of its construction and gilt-bronze mounts is indicative of the very best Parisian cabinetwork of the late 19th century.
Charles Cressent is known to have made at least three examples of this desk between 1740- 1745:
One sold from the collections of the Duc de Richelieu in 1788, later in the Houses of Parliament in London, and today in the collections of Grimsthorpe Castle, is illustrated in A. Pradère, 'French Furniture Makers', London, 1989, p. 268-9, no. 61. Another in the primary residence of the French President, the Palais de l’Elysée in Paris and a final example in the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon (inv. 2369), having formerly been in the collections of, amongst others, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild and Baron Alphonse de Rothschild.
A leading ébéniste and sculptor of the late Regence and early rococo periods, Charles Cressent became a master sculptor in 1719. He worked as both ébéniste and sculptor to the Regent, Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans. His furniture was often decorated with plain veneers, usually of satinwood and amaranth, or veneers in patterns of parquetry.
Cressent was best known for the highly sculptural gilt bronze mounts that ornamented his furniture. In order to supervise production and guarantee the quality of his mounts, he employed master casters and gilders in his workshop. This practice broke the strict rules of the French guild system, and the guild prosecuted him for practising the two professions of cabinet making and gilding in the same workshop. In order to pay the resulting fines, Cressent was forced to hold sales of his stock. The catalogues from these auctions, which he wrote himself, provide important evidence to identify his works, as Cressent's furniture was always unsigned.
The bronze mounts of the warriors with Roman armour, which elegantly defend the corners of this desk, known as bustes des guerriers antiques, were among his most celebrated mounts, and used not only on his model for this bureau plat but on other items such as a ‘cabinet de médailles‘ in the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon (illustrated A. Pradère, op. cit., p. 128.).
Of enduring appeal, this desk has continued to be the model of choice for connoisseurs, statesmen and collectors since the late 18th century. A 19th century example, comparable to the present desk, can be found in the Salon Doré at the Palais de l’Elysée in Paris - where it has been used by successive Presidents of France.
The model of desk was made by several distinguished 19th century ébénistes, including Paul Sormani, Alfred Beurdeley and François Linke. Given the quality of the present example, and its fine gilt-bronze mounts, it is almost certainly the work of one of these masters.
French, Circa 1890.
Literature:
Pradère, Alexandre. Charles Cressent, Editions Faton, (Dijon), 2003; pp. 131-136 et pp. 268-269.
Condition report:
Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free collection available
Yes
Similar Desks
Similar Desks
You may also like
You may also like
Choose a Wishlist
Create Wishlist
- Ships from Brighton, United Kingdom
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
We want everybody’s Vinterior experience to be seamless, so both buyers and sellers can fall in love with pre-loved. We designed our Terms of sale to treat everybody fairly.
However, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan, and you may need to cancel or return an order.
To prevent this, we encourage you to check listings, photos and descriptions carefully before you buy. If you aren’t sure about a piece’s condition, size, provenance or shipping, just ask; click Contact seller to get in touch. Always contact your seller first if you have any queries, at any point in your purchase.
Our buyers receive the same protection when buying from all our sellers, both professional and verified.
Can I cancel an order?
There are many reasons why you might need to cancel an order, and you'll often be entitled to a refund. To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.
If you cancel your order before it has been dispatched, you will receive a full refund - including delivery costs. However, if your item has been shipped, delivery costs will not be included in your refund.
Please note: orders of bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.
Can I return an order?
We understand that sometimes a piece isn’t the perfect fit. So if you no longer want your order, our returns process will ensure it finds a new home fast.
The Vinterior Guarantee included with your purchase entitles you to 14-day returns - allowing you to return any item within 14 days of the delivery date (except in specific circumstances, detailed below).
You can return your order if...
It isn't what you expected
If what arrives isn’t what you ordered, you can open a return. Just send us some photo evidence that the listing was inaccurate, misleading or misrepresented your purchased piece, and you’ll receive a refund.
You change your mind
If you don’t feel a piece is right for your space, you can return it. Once you request a change of mind return, you’ll be responsible for shipping the piece back to your seller as soon as possible. Delivery costs are non-refundable.
It's damaged in transit
In the rare event that an item arrives damaged or defective, you have a full 30 days from the date of delivery to return it for a full refund.
If your purchase arrives broken, always let us know. If Proovia delivered the piece, we can raise an insurance claim on the seller’s behalf. Or, the seller can raise a claim with their chosen courier.
What can't I return?
Just as there are some orders you can’t cancel, there are some you cant return, too. Personalised, bespoke or made-to-order pieces are non-returnable, and non-refundable. Sellers may also reject your return if the item has been altered in any way.
Please note: pieces on our site are pre-loved, not new. They may show some wear and tear; this is not sufficient grounds for a refund, unless the seller has misrepresented the item’s condition.
Lastly, neither Vinterior nor our sellers are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.
I'm eligible for a return. Now what?
To initiate a return, log into your Vinterior account, then go to the relevant order page and click Create a return. In the return request, be sure to include all the details: the reason for your return, an in-depth description, and photos of any issues or damage.
How will I receive my refund?
Once the seller confirms they’ve received the item (in the same condition it was sent), we will send your refund to your original payment method.
All items are inspected on return. If the seller receives the return with damage they don’t recognise, we will not be able to process your refund and the seller may need to send the piece back to you. You will be required to cover these delivery costs.
