{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O78995"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78995/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL5368/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL5368/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AL5368","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1094","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1093","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1092","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1091","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AL7769","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AL7768","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AL4925","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AL4922","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AL4921","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP9933","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP9934","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LY8556","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78995/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78995","accessionNumber":"W.29:1 to 3-1916","objectType":"Secretaire","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>This <i>secretaire</i> (a French term for a writing desk) was used for keeping private papers secret and safe. At first sight the piece looks like a cabinet or cupboard. However, the front flap falls open to form a horizontal writing surface. The cabinet contains shelves and drawers and a drawer beneath the fall front for storing papers.<br><br><b>Materials & Making</b><br>This cabinet demonstrates two luxurious and expensive techniques for embellishing furniture. The first is boulle, created by laying a light-coloured metal, either brass or pewter, over a dark ground such as tortoiseshell. The second is the decoration of the  fall front and the drawer beneath it with <i>pietre dure</i>, an Italian term for inlaid hardstones. This example includes red jasper, lapis lazuli, amethysts and marbles from Italy and Tunisia. Both the boulle side panels and the <i>pietra dura</i> front panels originally date from the 17th century and have been reused here, illustrating how highly 19th-century collectors and antiquarians valued such fine craftsmanship.<br><br><b>Time</b><br>It is unusual to find such a cabinet mounted with a combination of both boulle and <i>pietra dura</i> panels. This piece should probably be dated to the early 19th century, although it is made in the style of the late 18th.\n\n<b>Provenance</b>\nThe cabinet was bequeathed to the V&amp;A by W.S. Sutherland in 1916. He had inherited it from his parents, but the earlier provenance has not been established.\r\n\r\nIt is possible that it previously belonged to Antoine de Sauzay (1743-1821), former prefect of the Mont-Blanc department. His collection was sold by the auctioneer Charriot in Paris on 11 March 1822 and the catalogue description of lot 156 is close to the appearance of this cabinet: ‘Charming drop-front secretary mounted on four legs, it is decorated with marquetry panels; the central medallion, made of inset precious stones, a work from Florence, features subjects of fruits and birds, while both sides are adorned with female figures in caryatid form, in gilded bronze’ (‘Charmant secrétaire à abattant et monté sur quatre pieds, il est décoré de panneaux en marqueterie; le médaillon du milieu, en pierres précieuses de rapport, ouvrage de Florence, offre des sujets fruits et oiseaux, les deux côtés sont ornés de figures de femme sur gaîne, bronze doré'). This suggestion was made and information provided by Cyril Larmurier (email, 26/09/2025).","physicalDescription":"Ebony secretaire decorated with plaques of Florentine marble, marquetry of tortoiseshell and metal, and mounts of gilt bronze. The cabinet contains shelves and drawers closed by a falling front, and rests on a stand with short tapering legs joined by curved stretchers. The ornament consists of two plaques of Florentine marble, one in relief having a bird and floral sprays, the other a branch with leaves and fruit. There are panels on the front and sides in brass and tortoiseshell, and tortoiseshell in white metal. The gilt brass mounts consist of caryatid figures on the angles, mouldings and bands. On the top is a slab of yellow marble","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Weisweiler, Adam","id":"A8978"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"probably"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"oak","id":"AAT12264"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"tortoiseshell","id":"AAT11837"},{"text":"pewter","id":"AAT10979"},{"text":"brass (alloy)","id":"AAT10946"},{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"},{"text":"marble","id":"AAT11443"}],"techniques":[{"text":"marquetry","id":"AAT53853"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ebony on oak and pine; marquetry of tortoiseshell, brass and pewter; pietre dure (hardstones) and gilt-bronze","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AL5368","2006AM1094","2006AM1093","2006AM1092","2006AM1091","2006AL7769","2006AL7768","2006AL4925","2006AL4922","2006AL4921","2007BP9933","2007BP9934","2019LY8556"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"122G (VA)","id":"THES49219"},"free":"","case":"PL5","shelf":"","box":"17"},{"current":{"text":"122G (VA)","id":"THES49219"},"free":"","case":"PL5","shelf":"","box":"17"},{"current":{"text":"FWK3 (VA)","id":"THES49462"},"free":"","case":"KEYS","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cabinet","id":""}],[{"text":"marble slab","id":""}],[{"text":"key","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1785-1820","earliest":"1785-01-01","latest":"1820-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by W.S. Sutherland","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"122","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"70","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"36","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Measured; 24/05/1999 by LH","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Made in Paris, probably by Adam Weisweiler (born in Neuwied am Rhein, Germany, 1744, died in Paris, 1820)","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Secretaire, French, 1875-1820, probably by Adam Weisweiler","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nGrand French Style interiors often combined antiques with new furnishings. The rich combination of ebony with coloured hardstones was one of the most popular aspects of French Style.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["W.29:1-1916","W.29:2-1916","W.29:3-1916"],"accessionNumberNum":"29","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1916,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Cabinet","marble slab","key"],"assets":["2019LN1984","2019LR0680","2019LP5558","2019LV4797"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-03","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}