A Louis XVI Style Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany, Rosewood, Japanese Lacquer and Mother-of-Pearl Bonheur-du-Jour
By Gervais Maximilien Eugène Durand, circa 1870
Stamped signature three times DURAND
45 ¾ in (116 cm) high, 30 ½ in (77.5 cm) wide, 20 ½ in (52 cm) deep
45 ¾ in (116 cm) high, 30 ½ in (77.5 cm) wide, 20 ½ in (52 cm) deep
Gervais Durand was established in the rue de la Cerisaie before moving to rue Beautreillies in 1878. He specialised in producing high quality furniture in the 18th-century taste and won a silver medal at the Paris exhibition of 1889. In 1900, he moved to 62 rue Saint-Antoine in the former Hotel de Sully. Its factory then took the name of Durand and Son.
Durand's designs competed with those of his competitors, Beurdeley and Dasson. The marchands-merciers of late 18th-century Paris ingeniously incorporated Japanese lacquer panels as veneers on furniture in place of marquetry. These 18th-century innovators supplied the cabinetmakers with such lacquer panels. These were often incorporated from chests that had been imported from the Far East during the previous century. John-Henri Reisner and Adam Weisweiler were masters in the production of pieces in this style. So fashionable was this style of furniture that it continued to be sought after and acquired by the bourgeoisie throughout the late 19th-century.
Durand's designs competed with those of his competitors, Beurdeley and Dasson. The marchands-merciers of late 18th-century Paris ingeniously incorporated Japanese lacquer panels as veneers on furniture in place of marquetry. These 18th-century innovators supplied the cabinetmakers with such lacquer panels. These were often incorporated from chests that had been imported from the Far East during the previous century. John-Henri Reisner and Adam Weisweiler were masters in the production of pieces in this style. So fashionable was this style of furniture that it continued to be sought after and acquired by the bourgeoisie throughout the late 19th-century.
