A good French Louis XV style bombe shaped escritaire with…
click the photo to enlarge
A good French Louis XV style bombe shaped escritaire with vernis martin decoration. 143 cm high, 76 cm wide, 40 cm deep.

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Bombe Front - More commonly associated with a dome shaped dessert, "bombe" in furniture parlance means "puffed out". In profile the piece is serpentine shaped, narrow at the top, swelling out towards the middle and continuing to the floor, though sometimes it narrowed again at the foot. Drawer fronts are curved in section. Bombe pieces are often highly decorated with marquetry inlay, or veneered and set with brass or ormolu mounts. The most common use of the word, is in the description of the 'bombe commode'.

    The bombe design was particularly popular in the 18th century, during the reign of Louis XIV, when it was used to create furniture pieces with a curved, rounded bulging shape. This design was used on furniture in many styles, including Baroque, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. The bombe chest is one of the most iconic furniture piece featuring this design. They were usually made of precious woods like mahogany, rosewood, and walnut, and feature elaborate inlay, gilded ornaments and ormolu. Other items of furniture where the bombe design can be seen include cabinets, commodes, and desks.
  • Vernis Martin - A generic name for a type of lacquer finish applied to furniture and a multitude of small articles, giving a brilliant translucent finish, imitating the Chinese and Japanese lacquer finishes on furniture imported into France during the Louis XV period..

    Usually the surface to which the lacquer is applied was embellished with painted decoration of a classical scene.

    The name is derived from the inventors, Simon-Etienne Martin and his two brothers, a distinguished family of French artist-artificers of the 18th century, who refined and perfected the technique, and were granted a monopoly in its manufacture in 1730.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A French Louis XV style walnut and floral marquetry bombe shaped fall front secretaire cabinet. 136 cm high, 70 cm wide, 36 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Continental mahogany floral marquetry decorated bedside chest. 82 cm high, 65 cm wide, 40 cm deep.

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A 19th century French transitional walnut secretaire bureau with musical marquetry inlay. 146 cm high, 75 cm wide, 38 cm deep.

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A French kingwood floral marquetry decorated secretaire - abattant, the rectangular marble top, above an inverted cornice, below a fall front with Vernis Martin painted panel with ormolu surround, enclosing leather writing surface pigeon holes and small dr

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.