A superb pair of Louis XV floral bois de rose, amaranth and stained wood marquetry encoignures by Jacques Bircklé, stamped J &# 61620 B BIRCKLE and JME, each with a shaped triangular brocatelle marble top above a bow-fronted door inlaid with a magnificent floral bouquet and bird in a basket enclosed by a C-scroll rocaille gilt bronze mounted frame and flanked either side by thin shaped flower-filled panels, above a shaped apron with scrolled rocaille mount, the shaped angles headed by gilt bronze mounts above cabriole legs terminating in scrolled gilt bronze sabots

Paris, date circa 1765-70

Height 84 cm, width 65 cm, depth 47 cm. each.

Since these charming encoignures bear the stamp of his Parisian guild, we know that they were made after Jacques Bircklé (1734-1803) was received as a maître-ébéniste in 1764. He had however already established a fine reputation even before this date when he worked as an independent artisan in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. The quality of the floral inlays compare closely with other pieces by this distinguished maker, as one can see for instance on a Louis XV commode as well as a later Louis XVI encoignure (respectively illustrated in Pierre Kjellberg, "Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle", 1998, pp. 74 and 75).