Magnificent Grand Secretary, made by the cabinetmaker Rene Dubois between 1772 and 1775.
This tall piece of furniture (more than 4 meters high), with its sinuous curves, is a perfect example of the beginning of the neoclassical style, also known as " Gout a la grecque", which was so popular with aristocrats and great financiers in Paris at the time.
The piece of furniture, decorated with gilt Japanese lacquer and an abundance of gilt bronze, consists of three parts, the plinth with the opening secretary, an upper cupboard, and a large clock on the upper part representing two cupids holding mythological motifs, all in gilt bronze, at the very top, an eagle crowning the composition with an olive branch in its beak.
Imported by merchand merciers, the Japanese plates were imported from the Far East, and mounted on new furniture in the latest styles, creating a harmony as exotic as it is extremely seductive for lovers of the highest refinement.
The clock crowning the composition is fully functional, the hours and minutes can be adjusted and the chimes strike at o'clock and half hours.
The central compartment opens with a click, revealing the rosewood interior marquetry for writing and storing documents. as well as a second clock.
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Part of the Choiseul collection.
