This Louis XIV ormolu-mounted cabinet has a storied provenance, most notably for its time at 31 rue Cambon, the Parisian apartment of Coco Chanel, and later in Lausanne, Switzerland. The famed Parisian residence was where Chanel held court, entertaining guests amid her curated collection of furniture and decorative arts, most famously, her collection of over thirty-two Asian lacquer screens.

Believed to have been given to Chanel by the 2nd Duke of Westminster, the cabinet was later privately acquired by Galerie Kugel. The cabinet spent two decades in a Parisian private collection, until it sold at a Sotheby’s London auction on June 13, 1997. Purchased by Lily and Edmond J. Safra, the cabinet was subsequently sold in their Sotheby’s, New York sale on November 3, 2005.

This cabinet is the epitome of exoticism and grandeur in 18th century French Chinoiserie decoration, with intricate combinations of natural elements like mother-of-pearl to form detailed motifs. The technique, known as Boulle marquetry, is named after André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), famed cabinetmaker to Louis XIV, whose studio was in the Galerie du Louvre. Boulle largely used inlays of brass, animal horn and pewter with contrasting woods such as rosewood and ebony to create rich and elaborate designs.