Rare small piece of "apartment" furniture with three functio - Lot 280

Rare small piece of "apartment" furniture with three functions. Parisian work by Gamichon, Revolutionary or Directoire period. Mahogany and mahogany veneer. Small sheath feet at the front. The lower part is in the form of a straight chest of drawers with three drawers, and the upper part is in the form of a secretary closed by a mirror flap. The mirror on the flap may have been replaced. The mahogany interior features five layettes under an open pedestal with shelves. The top is in four-sided cut Saint-Anne gray marble. This small piece of furniture, fashionable at the end of the 18th century, was made to furnish apartments and could be used as a chest of drawers, a secretary and a dressing table. It was made in Paris by Gamichon, who stamped all the drawers with the words "À Paris". Jean-Baptiste Gamichon (b. Dijon †1832) practiced in Paris from 1790 to 1805. This master cabinetmaker used only mahogany. He didn't hesitate to put his two irons (one for his name, the other for "À Paris") on the edge of all drawers. The mahogany is veneered on oak mesh, and the drawers are in walnut. Creations by this cabinetmaker are rare, and for the history of French furniture, the piece we present here, made between 1790 and 1800, is the synthesis of three totally different pieces of furniture (commode, toilette and secrétaire). It therefore perfectly represents the need in Parisian apartments to install three pieces of furniture in one, despite its small size. H. 127 cm W. 80 cm Depth 50 cm The bottom drawer is missing a small keyhole. The lock on the flap has been removed. The missing small shoe on the right-hand column needs to be reattached. The felt on the flap has been removed. With two lyre keys. Provenance: Marc Berthomieu Collection, musician (1906-1991).