With an opening of 9 x 12 x 4 inches, this unusual French bookcase with ormolu mounts is the perfect desktop accessory for an office or library. Beneath the open front, is a concave facing adorned with a leafy wreath accompanied by a ribbon bow. Additional foliate motifs can be seen in the form of two margents along the open front, with a second pair along the side of the concave façade. A repeating ballflower motif runs along the lower edge of the bookcase, providing symmetry to the textured border that embellishes the top of the bookcase. The bookcase has a beautiful parquetry veneer with honey and brown colored panels.

Eight books are included with the bookcase, with three dating to 1809, while the other five were published in 1849. The older books are tomes II, III, and VI of Oeuvres de Moliere, while the more recent books appear to be a complete set (volumes I through X) of Macaulay’s History of England. All eight are leather bound with legible print.

CONDITION: Good overall condition. Light nicks and rubs with slight age separations. Traces of old restoration work. The books, which predate the bookcase, are included and have minor staining to the pages with commensurate leather chapping with some losses.