Our London showrooms
Open Mon to Fri 10am - 5pm
Open Saturdays by appointment

Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C

Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
24 product images - click on image to zoom
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
  • Antique French Empire 4 door Mahogany Bookcase c.1880 19th C | Ref. no. A1721a | Regent Antiques
Ref: A1721a
Price: £5,500.00
This is a superb antique French Empire Acajou Mouchete mahogany bookcase / Bibliotheque by the renowned French cabinet maker...

This is a superb antique French Empire Acajou Mouchete mahogany bookcase / Bibliotheque by the renowned French cabinet maker and retailer,  Mercier Freres, Paris,  dating from the last quarter of the 19th Century.

 
It has been crafted from Acajou Mouchete mahogany (plum pudding mahogany) and decorated with fine Neo- Classical ormolu mounts consisting of rosettes, bronze palmette mounts and laurel wreaths. The cabinet bears the makers metal trade label for Mercier Freres, Paris.

 
It features a pair of central brass grill fronted doors flanked by a pair of panelled doors, they each enclose adjustable shelves and the cabinet is raised on bun feet.
 

It is a lovely bookcase which will blend very well with contemporary interiors.

Complete with working locks and keys.
 
 
 
Condition:

In excellent condition having been cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
 



Dimensions in cm:

Height 190 x Width 241 x Depth 49

Dimensions in inches:

Height 6 foot, 3 inches x Width 7 foot, 11 inches x Depth 1 foot, 7 inches

Our reference: A1721a

Please feel free to email or call us (+44 20 8809 9605) to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse.

MERCIER FRÈRES, PARIS

The firm of Mercier Freres was a furniture and tapestry making firm in the 19th Century in France. It was founded in 1828 by Claude Mercier and participated in most of the major exhibitions of the late 19th Century. By the later 19th Century the firm counted Spanish and Iranian royalty among its clientele. The firm made furniture mostly in the 18th Century Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, but by the early 20th Century Mercier Freres had started to experiment with the popular Art Deco style.

Empire style
is an early-19th-century design movement in architecturefurniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830.

The style originated in and takes its name from the rule of Napoleon I in the First French Empire, where it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state. The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States and to the Regency style in Britain. The previous style was called Louis XVI style, in France.

The Empire style was based on aspects of the Roman Empire. It is the second phase of neoclassicism which is also called "Directoire", after a goverment system.
Furniture typically had symbols and ornaments borrowed from the glorious ancient Greek and Roman empires.

The furniture was made from heavy woods such as mahogany and ebony, imported from the colonies, with dark finishes often with decorative bronze mounts. Marble tops were popular as were Egyptian motifs like sphinxes, griffins, urns and eagles and the Napoleonic symbols, the eagle, the bee, the initials "I" and a large "N." 
Gilded bronze (ormolu) details displayed a high level of craftsmanship.

 

Ormolu - (from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'.

The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copperbrass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object.

 

After around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury other techniques were used instead. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt..

 

Dimensions in cm:

Height 190 x Width 241 x Depth 49

Dimensions in inches:

Height 6 foot, 3 inches x Width 7 foot, 11 inches x Depth 1 foot, 7 inches

Shipping:

We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge.

A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase.

UK shipping times are typically 3-5 business days.

Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the United Kingdom, and we are not responsible for any delays in shipping or in the customs procedures of any jurisdiction, which are completely beyond our control.

To request a shipping quote for the items in your cart, please click HERE.

Delivery and return policy:

We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply.

In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item.

The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition.

Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses.

Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the United Kingdom, and we are not responsible for any delays in shipping or in the customs procedures of any jurisdiction, which are completely beyond our control.

Please be advised that claims for damage with certain carriers can sometimes take several months to resolve, and we would be grateful for your patience and cooperation throughout the process.

Returns will be processed and refunds issued within 2-3 business days of receipt.

Follow Us