Unusual Early 20th Century Walnut Lyon-made Table Supporting an Italian Specimen Marble Top, the Base by A. Drevon

An unusual early 20th century walnut Lyon-Made table supporting an Italian specimen marble top, the Base by A. Drevon The table of French manufacture in the Louis XVI style, the carved walnut frame with incurved stretchers with an urn finial and further classical detailing evident in the fluted columnar legs with capitals. There are also finely carved floral paterae to the corner blocks and fluting around the frieze. The table retains the label for the retailer and maker who supplied it, A. Drevon of Lyon. The table top is of Italian origin and consists of a series of specimen marbles inside an inlaid guilloche pattern border. In the centre of the top is a stylised star motif, with a shaded star to the centre. The inlaid marble work is of the highest quality for the period, and the colour scheme is harmonious and well chosen, focusing largely on shades of brown which are complemented perfectly by the walnut table base. Drevon of Lyon An invoice, dated 1893 and not associated with this table, sets out the scale and focus of Drevon’s business at that time. Translated, it describes him as supplying furniture, upholstery and decoration, having previously worked for or absorbed the firm of J. Combe & Cie, a luggage manufacturer, largely making high quality fixtures and fittings for the cases used by travellers of the period. Drevon describes himself as ‘Upholsterer-decorator of the City of Lyon’ and lists his clients as: ‘Museums, Bank of France, Schools, Savings Bank, Racing Society etc.’ He also offered a rental scheme for festivals, evening receptions and weddings and his goods included furniture, seats, marquees, reviewing stands, pavilions, flowers, hangings, carpets and furniture storage. The Drevon of Lyon name is most frequently found on very fine pocket watches, the Drevon family having specialised in this area since the 18th century. Drevon continued to retail fine watches and clocks by the likes of Japy Freres in to the 20th century. Quite when the business ceased to exist has not been possible to establish but it certainly lasted well in to the 20th century. A newspaper article in the Journal de Roanne, 20th of September 1936, refers to the ‘maison Drevon’ being responsible, in conjunction with some others, for the maintenance and installation of clocks at the town hall in Saint-Etienne, St Anne’s school and the Combes barracks. The 2nd of October 1938 edition of the Journal de Roanne mentions that a contract for the maintenance of the electric clocks at the Lyon Business School had just been negotiated with Mr. de Montfaucon, director of the Drevon company in Lyon, worth 1000 Francs per year. The full scale of the services which the company could provide are demonstrated by a report in Le Petit Marseillais, 8th of July 1907. The Drevon firm had been contracted to build part of an 800 metre covered pavilion, complete with animal enclosures, for the agricultural fair at La Voulte-sur-Rhone. Given the different address on the label on our piece as compared to the 1893 invoice, and the style of the font etc., and of course the construction of the table frame itself, our piece is likely to have been produced around 1900