Pair of Louis XV corner tables stamped Jean Lapie, 18th century

Pair of Louis XV period corner cabinets in buttwood marquetry on a rosewood base, in violet wood frames. They open with two doors at the front, revealing three shelves. Beautiful ornamentation of acanthus leaves in chased and gilded bronze, typical of the Louis XV period. Each corner cabinet features an antique green marble top. Stamped by Jean Lapie: "J*LAPIE".

Jean Lapie: at the heart of 18th-century furniture

A cabinetmaker who passed his master's degree in 1762, Jean Lapie set up store on rue de Charenton, working for merchants and upholsterers. His output was not large, but he brought diversity and fantasy to his work. His Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture is decorated with veneers, mahogany, rosewood and ebony, and inlaid with flowers on a dark background, geometric designs, tile mosaics or lacquer and varnish in the Far Eastern style. The upholsterer Maugé, on rue Saint-André-des-Arts, bought several works with hinged book-backed doors, including a curious secretary chest of drawers disguised as a bookcase.

Bibliography: Pierre Kjellberg, Le mobilier français du XVIIIème siècle, Paris, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, 2008.

Condition report: In good condition.