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SECRETARY DESK WITH A PAINTED PANEL, PAUL SORMANI  FRANCE, PARIS, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
SECRETARY DESK WITH A PAINTED PANEL, PAUL SORMANI FRANCE, PARIS, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
A museum-quality secrétaire created in the Parisian workshop of Paul Sormani, representing an outstanding example of French furniture of the second half of the 19th century, executed in the spirit of Historicism with refined references to the Louis XV style. The carcass is made of solid wood and veneered with kingwood, carefully selected for its grain and tone and laid in a precise geometric pattern that emphasizes the architectural clarity of the form.The secrétaire stands on tall cabriole legs richly adorned with gilt-bronze mounts. The flowing curves of the legs and their bases are accentuated by bronze elements with vegetal motifs, lending the piece visual lightness and elegant dynamism.The principal artistic focal point is the large painted panel set into the fall-front, depicting classical lovers running toward a fountain, surrounded by cupids. Executed in the academic tradition, the composition displays finely modelled figures, soft chiaroscuro and a painterly depth of landscape background. The panel is framed by an elaborate gilt-bronze mount with rocaille scrolls, floral tendrils and corner mascarons in the form of female heads organically integrated into the decorative structure of the façade.Beneath the fall-front is a drawer decorated with undulating bronze foliage and refined handles. The interior is rationally and functionally arranged: the upper section divided by a shelf, the lower fitted with four small drawers in mahogany, two of which lock with a key. The writing surface is lined with green velvet, creating a noble contrast with the warm tones of the wood and gilt bronze.The upper section of the secrétaire is finished with a broad horizontal surface enclosed by an elegant gilt-bronze balustrade, reinforcing the ceremonial character of the piece and the completeness of its composition. The lockplate bears the maker’s signature with the Paris workshop address.Marks: Maker’s lockplate signed “Paul Sormani, 10 r. Charlot, Paris”.Dimensions: Height: 137 cm. Width: 87 cm. Depth: 39 cm.Condition: Good.Provenance: Private European collection.
Begins 03.05.2026
Samurai armor, Edo period.
Samurai armor, Edo period.
Samurai armor, Edo period. Consisting of: cuirasses - do, plate skirt - kusazuri, leggings - haidate plate skirt, sections of which could be tied around the hips forming a kind of trouser leg knee pads - tate-oge, leggings - suneate, shoulder pads - sode, bracers - kote, mittens - tekko ( half-mittens) - as a rule, it was a plate (often in the form of a stylized palm), which is part of the kote and covers the back of the hand, the helmet is kabuto, the visor is the headband - mabizashi, the contour is kosimaki, a wide plate running along the lower edge of the helmet, the back of the neck is shikoro, decoration - date, mask - mengu, on the chin (protection of the throat) - yodare-kake. The Edo period (Jap. 江戸時代 edo-jidai) is a historical period (1603-1868) of Japan, during the reign of the Tokugawa clan. It began with the appointment of Tokugawa Ieyasu as shogun in 1603. Completed by the removal of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1868. It is characterized as the time of the establishment of the Tokugawa dictatorship, at the same time as the transition from medieval civil strife to a completely controlled country. During the Edo period, the formation of the Japanese spirit, the emergence of the national Japanese idea, the development of the economy and the bureaucracy took place. The Edo period is the golden age of literature and Japanese poetry, Matsuo Basho is the most prominent representative of the poetry of both the Edo period and Japanese poetry in general. As a result of the sakoku self-isolation policy, for almost the entire Edo period, the country was behind the Iron Curtain, without trading or communicating with other countries (a rare exception is China and the Netherlands).
Begins 03.05.2026
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