Louis XIV Boulle Cabinet by Nicolas Sageot

This monumental and magnificent Louis XIV cabinet, or bibliothèque, was created by the distinguished ébéniste Nicolas Sageot and is one of only a handful known to be marked with his stamp. Down to the smallest detail, it is a true tour-de-force of 18th-century French cabinetmaking. Sageot was a contemporary of and highly inspired by the work of Andre Charles Boulle, one of the most influential ébénistes of all time. Boulle is celebrated for perfecting a type of marquetry that now bears his name, and which Sageot uses to stunning effect on the present piece. An elaborate design of gilded brass and tortoiseshell cut into arabesque and floral motifs results in the cabinet's exquisite finish. Prized among collectors for its intricacy and luxurious appeal, Boulle marquetry is at its best on large pieces such as this.

To acquire such a grand example of Sageot’s work, especially one stamped with his mark, is to acquire an important piece of decorative arts history. The entire façade is adorned with a most luxurious marquetry and ormolu mounts of unprecedented quality. The quality of Sageot's work throughout on such a monumental cabinet is superb - it is quite possibly his crowning achievement. 

Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731) is first recorded as working in the Grande Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1698 as an ouvrier libre or free workman and became a member of the cabinetmaker's guild and master eight years later. In 1711, he married Marie Brigitte Roussel, daughter of the ébéniste Jacques Roussel, and operated a thriving workshop that specialized in the production of commodes, armoires and desks. In 1720, he retired unexpectedly at the rather young age of 54, leaving behind a body of work that is comparable only to that of the legendary André-Charles Boulle. He was one of very few ébénistes of his time to occasionally stamp his furniture, and of those few, an even smaller number have ever been identified. His works have been discovered in a handful of museums and royal collections including the Wallace Collection and the Swedish Royal Collection in Stockholm.

A similar, yet less ornate bibliothèque is pictured in Le Mobilier Français du XVIII Siècle by P. Kjellberg, 1998, page 767, while another can be found in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris). 

Stamped “Nicolas Sageot” 

Circa 1710 

100" high x 62" wide x 24 1/2" deep