A pair of Régence gilt-bronze one-light wall appliques, attributed the workshop of André-Charles Boulle, circa 1720

Sotheby's Paris, Les Dillée, 18 March 2015, lot 5.

____________________________________________

Sotheby's Paris, Les Dillée, 18 mars 2015, lot 5.

J-P. Samoyault, André-Charles Boulle et sa famille, Genève, 1979

This pair of wall appliques with a mask can be compared to the repertoire of André-Charles Boulle who created an impressive number of masks to compose or decorate his creations. Some of them are mentioned in the after-death inventory written in 1732 and published by J-P. Samoyault (see items n°19, n°34). Masks of men or women borrowed from mythology - Diana, Heraclitus, Democritus (item n°20) - or satyrs (item n°62), all present multiple expressions perfectly treated thanks to a high quality chasing. The general design, the shape of the escutcheon and that of the arm all have the characteristics of the work of André-Charles Boulle. The general aesthetics of the mask set in an escutcheon is not far removed from that found on the large cartouche of the dolphin and brandon tables delivered for the Duchess of Burgundy and now in Bowhill Castle, and on the one adorning the sides of the Ashburnham desk.

A similar pair of appliques is kept in the Musée Carnavalet, consisting of an arm of light that emerges from a mask placed on a shield-shaped plate.