This department lours many serious collectors who love to furnish their residences with important, finely crafted and highly decorated period furniture. The most sought-after pieces to the local collector and investor must be the fine inlaid pieces from the Knight of St John era which, hence their rarity, fetch top prices when a fine specimen is places for sale. A very fine ivory inlaid bureau with a topped double domed bookcase from the De Vilhena period circa 1730 sold in a local auction for €110,000 in 2008.
Apart from local furniture, local collectors show much interest in European fine examples such as the French Louis XV period pieces, , Italian, Dutch, German and English period pieces.
Important Furniture Makers;
Antoine Gaudreau (French c1680-c1746)
François Linke (French c1855-c1946)
Thomas Chippendale (English c1718-c1779)
Furniture are always present in Fine Furnishings and Decorated Arts auctions at Centurion Auctioneers which are held regularly.
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ENGLISH WALNUT BUREAU BOOKCASE
QUEEN ANNE PERIOD CIRCA 1710
With arched beveled mirror plates enclosing a fitted interior of drawers, secret drawers, pigeonholes, shelves and document slides above a pair of candleslides, the base with fall-front enclosing a writing surface and fitted interior of further drawers and pigeonholes, on later bun feet, brasses replaced, the mirror plates possibly replaced.
87 in. (221 cm.) high, 41½ in. (103.5 cm.) wide, 22½ in. (57 cm.) deep.
Sold $15,000 Christie's auctions
LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED JAPANESE LACQUER AND EBONIZED COMMODE
LOIUS XV PERIOD CIRCA 1750
The later molded serpentine-fronted Portor marble top above two drawers composed of a single seventeenth-century Japanese lacquer panel decorated sans traverse with figures and buildings in a landscape, the drawers mounted with scrolling ormolu shells, foliate and rocaille motifs and curling vines forming drawer handles, both sides mounted with ormolu in a similar manner and inset with seventeenth-century Japanese lacquer panels showing a still life and a duck in a landscape, raised upon cabriole legs mounted with ormolu chutes centered by a cabochon and cast with acanthus leaves at the knee, terminating in scrolled leaf-cast sabots, the back with red painted inventory number 1926.63.
35 1/2 in.; width 5 ft. 4 1/2 in.; depth 27 in.
Sold $3,442,500 Sotheby's auctions
A NORTH ITALIAN THREE-DRAWER MARQUETRY COMMODE
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Rosewood, tulipwood and olive, with a quarter-veneered top and cross-banded throughout, the central panel of each drawer depicting a courting couple.
35 in. (89 cm.) high; 49 in. (125 cm.) wide; 22 in. (56 cm.) deep.
Sold £8,750 Christie's auctions
A MALTESE OLIVEWOOD, FRUITWOOD, MAHOGANY AND MARQUETRY COMMODE
DE ROHAN PERIOD, CIRCA 1790
The top inlaid with a shaped panel of exotic birds and beasts, above four graduated drawers, between panelled uprights, on ebonized bun feet, three feet replaced, the handles replaced.
39 in. (99 cm.) high; 64½ in. (164 cm.) wide; 24 in. (61 cm.) deep.
Sold £22,500 Christie's auctions
A SOUTH ITALIAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL AND EBONY ARCHITECTURAL CABINET
NAPLES, LATE 17TH CENTURY
Of shallow breakfront form with balustraded pediment, the front with ten deep drawers, each inset with a niche flanked by columns and pilasters, divided horizontally by twelve narrow frieze drawers, the interior with further concealed drawers, the end panels with conforming decoration, minor old restorations and replacements, the mounts re-gilt.
34 in. (86.5 cm.) high; 50 ¾ in. (129 cm.) wide; 20 ¾ in. (53 cm.) deep.
Sold £74,500 Christie's auctions
AN ITALIAN PARCEL-GILT ROSEWOOD, WALNUT AND BOIS CITRONNIER BUREAU-CABINET
ROME, SECOND QUARTER 18TH CENTURY
Inlaid overall with foliate scrolls, the arched cresting with broken pediment centred by a standing classical figure, flanked by urn finials, above a pair of arched and recessed mirrored doors enclosing a fitted walnut-veneered interior with central and side niches, above two short drawers, the lower section fitted with a sloping front revealing a writing surface and five variously-sized drawers around a beige velvet-lined compartment and a secret slide enclosing a further two drawers and a well, above three long shaped drawers with cartouche-shaped lockplates, the shaped sides inlaid conformingly and adorned with foliate-carved spandrels, on shaped bracket feet.
99½ in. (252.5 cm.) high; 57 in. (145 cm.) wide; 27½ in. (70 cm.) deep.
Sold £158,500 Christie's auctions
A NORTH ITALIAN KINGWOOD BUREAU PLAT
GENOA, MID-18TH CENTURY
The shaped rectangular and leather-lined top with moulded edge, above a waived frieze fitted with three drawers to the front, the sides and reverse conformingly decorated, on hipped cabriole legs terminating in foliate sabots, the reverse with a paper label inscribed 'Capi..t..ino..uti Roma'.
31¾ in. (81 cm.) high; 48¾ in. (123 cm.) wide; 26 in. (66 cm.) deep.
Sold £37,250 Christie's auctions
A DUTCH WALNUT, MOTHER-OF-PEARL, IVORY-INLAID AND MARQUETRY ARMOIRE
MID-18TH CENTURY,THE MARQUETRY ADDED IN THE 19TH CENTURY
The domed cornice above shaped panelled doors enclosing later hooks and a hanging rail, decorated overall with ornamental urns issuing floral sprays, on later bun feet, the interior formerly with shelves, the central backboard later and with label for 'Muirhead Moffat & Co. Antiques, Glasgow'.
88 in. (224 cm.) high; 68½ in. (174 cm.) wide; 25 in. (63.5 cm.) deep.
Sold £5,250 Christie's auctions
A PAIR OF ITALIAN WALNUT HIGH-BACK THRONE ARMCHAIRS
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Each with large scroll arms and moulded X-shaped stretchers, the cut-velvet upholstery now distressed.
54 in. (138 cm.) high; 32 ½ in. (83 cm.) wide (arm to arm).
Sold £2,250 Christie's auctions
A GERMAN WALNUT, TULIPWOOD AND PARQUETRY CYLINDER BUREAU
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Elaborately inlaid with fans and trompe l'oeil, the interior fitted with drawers and pigeonholes, above two drawers and square tapering legs, later hardware.
44½ in. (113 cm.) high, 47½ in. (127.5 cm.) wide, 24¾ in. (63 cm.) deep.
Sold $8,125 Christie's auctions
A QUEEN ANNE WALNUT WING ARMCHAIR
CIRCA 1710
With outswept arms, on carved legs and with braganza feet, joined by wavy stretchers, covered in crimson velvet, restorations, indistinct blue crayon inscription to back rail '....944'
51 in. (129.5 cm.) high; 32 in. (81 cm.) wide.
Sold £8,750 Christie's auctions
A LOUIS XIV ORMOLU-MOUNTED, BRASS-INLAID, EBONY, EBONISED AND ‘BOULLE’ MARQUETRY BUREAU MAZARIN
EARLY 18TH CENTURY, REMODELLED AND EMBELLISHED IN THE LATE 18TH CENTURY
Inlaid throughout in première and contre partie, the rectangular top with with engraved border and lappetted edge-mount with rocaille corner-mounts above an arrangement of eight drawers on later 18th century angled cabriole-stiles with ram's-mask and laurel-hung chutes and lion's paw sabots, originally with inner legs, the reverse embellished in the 19th century, restorations.
31.1/4 in. (79.1/2 cm.) high; 45.1/2 in. (115.5 cm.) wide; 28 in. (71 cm.) deep.
Sold £43,750 Christie's auctions
