Hippolyte-Edme PRETOT Circa 1830
Napoleon III Style 'Cabinet à Hauteur d'Appui'
France, Louis XIV period, circa 1700 for the marquetry panel - Blackened pearwood, amaranth veneer, red tortoiseshell, brass, copper inlays, gilded bronzes, and black marble.
This piece is emblematic of the work of Hippolyte-Edme Pretot, a Parisian cabinetmaker from the Napoleon III era. Pretot was known for repurposing 17th-century panels, integrating them into structures that emulated the highly popular models from the Great Century. His workshop produced hybrid furniture pieces, 'Cabinet à Hauteur d'Appui', adorned with repurposed panels or imitations in Boulle marquetry, carved ebony, or inlaid with hardstones.
Stamped PRETOT, numbered 248.
Excellent structural integrity, some damage and restorations on the central panel.
The door opens and closes smoothly; the lock (original lock) is functional.