ATTRIBUTED TO CHRISTOPHE WOLFF, CIRCA 1765

This table à écrire, with its detailed marquetry of a flower basket within a shaped cartouche, can be attributed to the ébéniste of German origin, Christophe Wolff (maître in 1755), celebrated for the quality of his workmanship and, amongst other forms of decoration, his use of floral marquetry. A very closely related table en chiffonnière by Wolff was sold anonymously, Christie's, New York, 22 May 2002, lot 478 and offered again on 21-22 October 2010, lot 232. The catalogue note for that table attributes the present table almost certainly to Wolff. Although this table is unstamped, the floral marquetry top is extremely similar to Wolff's oeuvre. The floral basket inlay on the tops of both examples are of the same composition with only slight variations in flower selections and are each set within similar C-scroll and acanthus cartouches; furthermore, the acanthus leaves overlap the green-painted fruitwood on both cartouches in a similar manner. This cartouche frame is also found on another petite table by Wolff, sold from pavillon Gabriel, Paris, in 1977 (P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 877).

Certain elements of the marquetry can be found on tables stamped by other ébénistes - such as a delicate table en chiffonnière attributed to Antoine-Louis Gosselin (maître in 1752) and retailed by the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier, which was previously in the Wildenstein Collection (sold Christie's, London, 15 December 2005, lot 349). It has a similar flowering basket set within a slightly more structured cartouche, and the detail of the floral marquetry and framing of the basket is similar to the top of this table à écrire.