François Gaspard Teune, maître in 1766.
This elegant desk is attributed to François Gaspard Teuné, who trained in the workshop of his uncle Jean Popsel (maître in 1755), and with whom he undoubtedly collaborated on the manufacture of pieces for the marchand-ébéniste Pierre II Migeon. The present bureau is embellished with an elaborate parquetry design incorporating quatrefoil flowers in trelliswork among lozenges, which relates to the prototypes conceived by Jean-François Oeben. Related pieces featuring comparable lozenge parquetry, by or attributed to Teuné, include a bureau à cylindre from the Di Portanova collection, sold Christie's, New York, 20 October 2000, lot 58; a bureau plat sold Christie's, Paris, 26 November 2005, lot 233; a superb meuble d'appui sold Christie's, London, 5 July 2007, lot 85; an armoire sold Christie’s, London, 24 April 2008, lot 165. Two further cylinder desks with very similar outline of their lower section include one offered Christie’s, Paris, 13 April 2010, lot 249, and another which also shares very similar ormolu mounts in the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest.