Small Oval Marquetry Table Stamped Nicolas Petit

A small oval table inlaid with rosewood, green-stained boxwood, and amaranth fillets. The table rests on four slightly curved legs connected by a stretcher shelf richly adorned with marquetry depicting a fruit basket on a triangular game table. The table's apron is also decorated with a village scene featuring houses. This apron opens with a drawer revealing a writing tablet and an inkwell.  
The small table is topped with a white Carrara marble surface set into an openwork gilt bronze gallery, mirroring the one on the stretcher shelf. The table is adorned with gilt and chiseled bronze fittings, including a keyhole escutcheon and foot sabots.  
Stamped Nicolas Petit  
Transition period  
Customary Restorations
H. 74 x W. 58 x D. 44 cm.

The table of our study is stamped by Nicolas Petit, who became a master in 1761. We can assume that he benefited from the support of his in-laws, who were connected to the Mondon family, from which the renowned cabinetmaker François Mondon came.  
The early death of Nicolas Petit's first wife led to a precious inventory in 1765, providing insight into the artisan's success just a few years later. In 1765, Nicolas Petit owned 507 livres worth of veneer wood, compared to 4,000 livres in 1791.  

Veneer played an essential role in Nicolas Petit's work, where he excelled. Our table features a still-life decoration on the stretcher shelf. A similar decoration can be found on a ‘bonheur du jour’ sold at Herbette on 20/03/2016, lot 189.  

Nicolas Petit gained significant professional recognition and friendships with other craftsmen who achieved lasting fame. These include RVLC, with whom Petit collaborated on specific pieces of furniture (Aguttes, 12/10/22, lot 116), and Gilbert and Dusautoy. Thus, Nicolas Petit placed his work within a tradition of high-quality production.

While the gilt bronze gallery and keyhole escutcheons on our table evoke the emerging neoclassical style, the marquetry design on the tabletop reflects the curvilinear shapes of Louis XV. It is interesting to see how different styles are blended in this table.

Small tables comprise a significant portion of Nicolas Petit's production, as Anne Droguet states that they represent 40% of the furniture inventory that passed through Petit’s workshops. Their practicality, meeting the search for comfort that developed in the 18th century, made this type of furniture a staple of 18th-century production.