BAROMETER in the form of an obelisk, in gilt bronze... Lot 249

BAROMETER in the form of an obelisk, in gilt bronze and Boulle marquetry with a blue horn background, surmounting a bronze dial with three enamel cartouches. The base is a bracket, simulated in brass marquetry on a brown tortoiseshell background. Model attributed to André-Charles BOULLE. Louis XIV style, late 19th century. Misses of which the movement. H. 106 L. 26 D. 15 cm The creativity of Alexandre Jean Oppenordt and even more that of André Charles Boulle (1642-1732) upset the decorative repertoire of European furniture under the reign of Louis XIV. Our barometer is close to two known examples, one in the Jones collection of the Victoria Albert Museum in London (cf. H. Ottomeyer, P. Proschel et al, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, fig. 1.5.2), the other in the collections of the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers in Paris. Other examples have come up for sale from the Wildenstein, Riahi and Balkany collections.