CIRCA 1815-20

This striking guéridon with its large, intricately detailed verre eglomisé top is a rare survivor of a tiny group of luxurious pieces of furniture which combines technical virtuosity, sophisticated design and precious materials. Although the large size of the eglomisé panel is very unusual, what is truly remarkable is that the detail on this inherently fragile material remains virtually intact.
The technique of verre eglomisé, or reverse-painting on glass, dates back to ancient Roman times but was revived at the beginning of the nineteenth century both in France and particularly in Russia. Innovative techniques facilitated the production of complex, contemporary designs which could be combined in striking new ways.
The makers of verre eglomisé are essentially unknown as virtually all extant works are unsigned and were specifically commissioned by ébénistes or marchands mérciers to be incorporated into larger pieces. Antoine Rascalon (1742-1830) is one of the few known 'sculpteurs en graveurs sur glace' and his workshop was adjacent to the Erard piano manufactory (M. Robin, "Antoine Rascalon," L'Objet d'Art, February 2003, pp.78-82). Rascalon supplied eglomisé panels for several pianofortes, including one panel which he signed "antoine Rascalon fit 1809." It was purchased by Madame Savary duchesse de Rovigo, in 1810 and is now in the collection of the Cité de La Musique, Paris (E.2001.5.1). Although it is possible that Rascalon could be the maker of the present table's panel, the panels on this pianoforte as well as others he is known to have supplied lack its painstaking detail.