Excellent and rare small side or salon table, a so-called “table à rognon”: the kidney shaped table with elaborate mirrored parquetry standing on four slender and tapering cabriole legs with gilt- bronze sabots. A small trompe l’oeil sliding front door, which follows the concave outline of the table front, discloses the table interior with two small storage compartments. One side of the table fitted with two small, curved drawers swinging out sideways. The table top a white and grey marble plate, partially surrounded by a pierced brass gallery.
A small table by Charles Topino (ca. 1742-1803, master 1773) was offered in the international art market, which had the identical shape with the characteristic drawers swinging out to the side: Charles Topino worked for a number of years as an independent craftsman before he was received as a maître in 1773. From 1757 Charles Topino worked in the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine gaining great renown as a marqueteur producing elaborate marquetry featuring floral garlands and bouquets as well as still-lifes showing vases, bottles, teapots and other artefacts. Although Topino supplied distinguished clients from the French aristocracy, his main customers were the marchand-merciers and marchand-ébénistes, notably Héricourt, Dautriche, Migeon, Denizot, Moreau, Delorme, Tuart, Joubert and Boudin. In 1782 Topino was elected député of his guild. Topino tended to specialize in making light furniture such as small tables, chiffonnières and bonheurs-du-jour although he is also credited with outstanding commodes and secrétaires in both the Transitional and full Louis XVI styles. Pieces of his oeuvre can be found at the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, at the Musées des Arts Décoratifs, du Louvre, Nissim-de-Camondo in Paris, the Lambinet Versailles, Château Champs-sur-Marne, Rouen, Ephrussi at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Cincinnati Art Museum.
Condition: very good,. min. wear consistent with age and use, min. fading, French polish refreshed, marble plate with old and professional restoration – detailed condition report on request
