Antique French Louis XV Style Kingwood Marquetry Two-tier Étagère c.1900

A particularly elegant antique French Louis XV style two-tier étagère or tea table, dating to around 1890, finely veneered in richly figured kingwood and decorated throughout with delicate floral marquetry and gilt-bronze mounts. The table is formed with two shaped serpentine tiers, each edged with a gilt-bronze gallery and centred by beautifully executed floral and foliate marquetry. The upper tier is supported on gracefully curved uprights embellished with gilt-bronze leaf and floral mounts, while the lower tier incorporates decorative side handles, allowing the piece to function beautifully as a serving, drinks or display table. The slender cabriole-style legs are similarly mounted with gilt-bronze ornament and terminate in decorative sabots, giving the table the sophisticated lightness associated with late nineteenth-century French revival furniture. What distinguishes this example is the quality and abundance of its decoration. The contrast between the warm figured veneers, finely worked marquetry and aged gilt-bronze mounts produces an exceptionally decorative surface from every angle.