Antique French 2nd Empire Napoleon III Decanter Tantalus Liquor Cabinet Boulle 

Presented for your consideration we are offering this stunning 19th century French black lacquer with brass and mother of pearl inlay Tantalus, with 4 decanters and 3 glasses, in Louis XV style, dating to Napoleon III / French Second Empire period, c 1852-1870.

  • Beautifully decorated in the marquetry style of master cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle, the premier cabinetmaker of the 17th-18th century, employing his technique of combining, in this instance, brass and mother of pearl inlay upon a black lacquer finish.  Top opens and folds, and doors swing out beautifully, to expose space for 4 decanters (all 4 included) in center and 16 small glasses on the doors (3 included).
  • The inlay and cabinetwork on inside is wonderfully crafted, as are the hinges - truly made in a fashion sadly not found today (PHOTOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  • Tantalus measures, when closed, 12 3/4" (31cm) Wide x 9" (23cm) High x 9" (23cm) Deep
  • Weight is 11 lb 6 oz (5.25 kg) with decanters and glasses
  • Decanters measure 6 1/2" (16cm) High Without stopper and 8" (20cm) High With stopper 3" (8cm) Wide Square
  • Glasses measure 3" (8cm) High x 1 3/4" (4cm) Top Diameter
  • Condition:
    • Tantalus should have a brass ornamental crest covering keyhole - it is missing (photo 3)
    • Key is not present, but should be easily obtained, and latch seems fine
    • There is some flaking and buckling in lacquer on front left of inlay (see photo 3 left side), and on top right (see photo 4, 5, 6), and a crack that runs across inside top but not visible from outside, very minor and unlikely to worsen - nothing quite serious, all commensurate with age and fine care
    • Sides and rear are in extremely fine condition, as are the brass fittings, so we did not want to waste photos on the parts with no problems - we prefer to highlight faults
    • Inside, as mentioned, there are individual spaces for 16 glasses - 3 of the inner top corners have chipped with age, a very small part, and each on the innermost 3 of 4 upper shelves which would hold the middle of the glass, so 13 spaces are fine, and the innermost 3 have a slight piece of wood chipped, ironically in the same place (see photos 1, 2, 9, 11) - the top right one has a piece of wood placed there to support the bottom (see photo 11)
    • All 4 decanters and 2 of the stoppers are perfect - 2 of the stoppers have very minor chips at bottom, which goes inside the decanter (see example of in photo 10)
    • Glasses have tiny chips on rim and corner of square base - so small we did not want to waste the photo
      • SHOULD YOU DESIRE MORE PHOTOS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK
  • Please look at all photos as they are an integral part of description

This is a magnificent and extremely well preserved antique French tantalus, and we are pleased to offer it to market for your pleasure.  

We will remove glass from Tantalus for shipping, so, depending upon your country's limits on package size, you may need two separate packages - if shipping is not calculating for you, contact us for a quote on two separate packages

«««««

WE GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BRING A VAST ARRAY OF THE FINEST AND UNIQUE COLLECTIBLES TO MARKET FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT AND PLEASURE.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS. IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL PICTURES, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

PLEASE VISIT OUR STORE formula1monacocollectibles TO SEE OUR MAGNIFICENT INVENTORY https://stores.ebay.com/formula1monaco-collectibles

WHENEVER WE SELL HIGH-END ELECTRONICS OR FRAGILE COLLECTIBLES, WE TAKE GREAT CARE IN THEIR PACKAGING, AND INSURE THEM FOR THEIR VALUE, SO IF THE ITEM YOU ARE BIDDING ON FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY, THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE MODEST HANDLING FEE. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT IS HOW YOU WOULD PREFER IT.

100% FEEDBACK IS OUR GOAL. PLEASE, IF YOU CANNOT LEAVE US (5) STARS ON ALL FEEDBACK RATINGS, INCLUDING:

· ITEM AS DESCRIBED

· COMMUNICATION

· SHIPPING TIME

· SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES

*PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS ADD APPLICABLE SALES TAX.

PLEASE CONTACT US SO WE MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESOLVE ANY ISSUES, PROBLEMS, OR DISCREPANCIES.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR OTHER ITEMS IN OUR EBAY STORE AS WELL.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT PRIOR TO UTILIZING ANY VINTAGE ELECTRONICS (i.e. photographic, audio, video, etc) FOR ACTUAL USE THAT THEY BE TAKEN TO A PROFESSIONAL TO BE PROPERLY INSPECTED AND/OR SERVICED IF YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERT. WE ARE NOT EXPERTS IN ELECTRONICS, AND THEREFORE CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE OFFER ANY WARRANTIES NOR GUARANTEES WITH RESPECT TO FUNCTIONALITY. THIS IN NO WAY IMPLIES THAT OUR ITEMS ARE NOT PERFECT…WE SIMPLY ARE NOT EXPERTS. WE DO OUR BEST, AND ARE OFTEN OVERLY CRITICAL IN OUR DESCRIPTIONS, SO THAT YOU ARE HOPEFULLY ULTIMATELY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH YOUR PURCHASE.

WE ARE HAPPY TO COMBINE SHIPPING ON MULTIPLE ITEMS TO SAVE YOU $$$.

DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HIGH VALUE OF CERTAIN ITEMS, WE WILL ONLY SHIP VIA USPS GLOBAL EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL, TO ENSURE PROPER TRACKING AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION.

WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS, HOWEVER, WILL NOT SHIP TO BOSNIA OR CROATIA, DUE TO ISSUES WITH TRACKING.

AS A MATTER OF LAW, ETHICS, AND INSURANCE, WE WILL NOT UNDERVALUE ITEMS ON CUSTOMS FORMS, SO PLEASE DO NOT ASK US TO DO SO. 

GOOD LUCK, AND ENJOY !!!

«««««