Christian Mayer (circa 1750-1807) presided as one of St. Petersburg's premier cabinetmakers at the close of the eighteenth century, apparently so well-renowned that he was selected to provide carpentry lesson to members of the Imperial family (Antoine Chenevière, Russian Furniture, The Golden Age 1780-1840, New York, 1988, p. 83). Although his designs show influence of the work of David Roentgen, his rise to fame predated Roentgen's first visit to Russian capital. His workshop appears to have been prolific as well as prestigious; an inventory compiled in 1811 lists no fewer than 149 pieces attributed to his name, some of which were delivered as early as 1787. Among these were cabinets made for specialized purposes, including the display of precious minerals, as well as a great volume of large bookcases made for the library at the Hermitage, of which sixty-four were delivered in 1793, and thirty-five more in 1795 (ibid., p. 85).

For two similar pieces of furniture, see those illustrated ibid., pp. 124-125, pls. 110 and 111. The former relates to the present lot in its near-identical upper part, also executed with glazed doors. The latter, of quite comparable conception and design to the present lot, is attributed to Christian Mayer's workshop with the concave section of its lower section standing out as a hallmark of Mayer's designs, also used on the bonheur-du-jour illustrated ibid., pl. 76. The richly-figured mahogany and employment of ormolu urn-form finials further relate to his work. See also the dressing-mirror, dated 1798 and sold Christie's, Paris, 24 April 2024, lot 430, where even the small drawer at the plinth base is veneered with a mahogany curl.