Empire Period Secretary Attributed To Jacob Desmalter

Exceptional secretary of the Empire period, period back from Egypt, attributed to Jacob Desmalter. François-Honoré-Georges Jacob, said Jacob Desmater (1770-1841) was the second son of Georges Jacob. The upper part, flanked in the uprights of 2 caryatids, opens on the front with a large flap with 3 closing points, controlled by a clover lock, revealing a tiered arcade, arranged small drawers buttons and a Locker also closes with a clover lock. The upper part of the tier is embellished with a theater with three semicircular arcades, separated by pillar posts simulating Egyptian heads in sheath, and surmounted by a secret correspondence drawer, in the form of a molding cornice . The bearing hides in the thickness of the uprights of the 2 internal side walls, 2 small leaves whose opening is triggered by a push button incorporated into the thickness of the frame, and revealing 3 small drawers superimposed on each side, also known as chétrin. The central compartment closes with a clover lock, rests on a double bottom of which the sliding shelf is released by means of small pusher latches concealed in the bottom of the moldings of each of the uprights. Once this shelf slide removed, appears a double bottom under the entire surface of the bearing. it is also concealed in the thickness of its 2 uprights, the same system of leaves, opening on 3 levels of small shelves superimposed. The lower part, topped by a large drawer with a cloverleaf lock, consists of a carved and gilded wooden sphinx base resting on hock-clawed feet at the front. A crotch shelf with rectangular tray is connected by 4 arms console, coming to be solid with the mirror frame bottom. Top of gray veined white marble with openwork bronze gallery, resting on a drawer, opening with a clover lock. We find in part of Jacob Desmalter's repertoire of creations, the same type of sphinge base, on a large flat desk, as well as on other very similar versions of this secretary. As for caryatids, we also find them identically on the tripod base of a circular pedestal, treated in larger dimensions, and also attributed to Jacob Desmalter.