Jean Antoine Bruns - Prince's secretary in mahogany - delivered for Chantilly in 1816

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Jean-Antoine Bruns for the Condé furniture storage
Cabinet secretary, mahogany
Bearing multiple marks from the Garde-Meuble and the hot iron inventory from 1845
Dimensions on the marble: H. 142.5 L. 97.5 P. 42 (cm.)
Paris, 1816

Although a very simple model, this secretary is a perfect example of the careful know-how of Parisian artisans. It is indeed a piece of furniture with an impeccable oak frame. Furthermore, the mahogany veneer is tastefully chosen. This secretary rests on cubic molded legs. It opens with two leaves and a flap and has a very light decoration of pilasters. Finally, it is topped with Belgian granite marble.

Condé productions and their traceability
This secretary corresponds to a very specific furnishing need at the Château de Chantilly. It is in fact a question of refurnishing a residence in which everything is missing following revolutionary looting.
Thus, this secretary was ordered from the cabinetmaker for the bedroom of the Count of Rully, in 1816. His rank as 1st gentleman of the Duke of Bourbon, as well as his military career, explains the quality and sobriety of the order. It was originally dangling from a dresser. This piece of furniture was subsequently assigned to a residence of the princely crown, located in Saint-Firmin, which is mentioned in the 1845 inventories. This residence served Mr. Delafontaine as forest inspector. This piece of furniture as well as other objects were given to him as a bonus upon his retirement in 1851.
The brands present provide valuable information:
-the blue stamp is crowned by the sons of France
-the monogram under the hot iron crown is that of the 1845 inventory
-the monogram under the stencilled crown can be dated to around 1830
-the numbering 12 finally gives crucial information: Chantilly had 17 heterogeneous mahogany secretaries in 1845. This is the twelfth inventoried: its description corresponds with that of its delivery in 1816 and also informs us that it still has its marble original.

The Count of Rully and his wife, Princess Adélaïde de Bourbon
Rully, Patrice-Gabriel Bernard de Mon-Tessus, Count of), deputy in 1789, and peer of France, born in Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire) on August 10, 1761, died in Paris on February 25, 1831 , entered the king's armies very young; he was colonel of the Maine regiment at the time of the Revolution. Elected on April 5, 1789, deputy deputy of the nobility in the States-General by the bailiwick of Chalon-sur-Saône, he was admitted to sit on November 10, 1789, replacing Mr. Bernard de Sassenay, who had resigned. He was little noticed there and wrote a letter to the Assembly to defend the memory of his brother, killed in Corsica in a riot. Mr. de Rully emigrated in 1791, served in Condé's army, and campaigned against the Republic until 1796. Appointed field marshal in 1803 by the Count of Provence, and confirmed in this rank on September 12, 1814, after the return of the Bourbons, he was promoted to lieutenant general on July 1, 1815, and called to the Chamber of Peers on August 17 following. He voted for death in the trial of Marshal Ney, and left the Upper House during the revolution of 1830, so as not to take the oath. He had been aide-de-camp and first gentleman to the Duke of Bourbon.
He is married to Adélaïde de Bourbon, legitimized daughter of the Prince de Condé father and Marguerite Michelot, singer. They married during their exile in London in 1803.

Jean-Antoine Bruns: received master's degree in 1782, he is a subcontractor of Riesener and thus supplied the Royal Crown. His talent and the quality of his works allowed him a stable situation throughout the Revolution and the Empire. He carried out orders for the Bourbons upon their return from exile and even became patent supplier to Louis XVIII in 1824.

Origin :
Delivered for the bedroom of the Count of Rully, first gentleman of the Duke of Bourbon, on the ground floor of the Château de Chantilly, in 1816, then princely house in Saint-Firmin and finally, Delafontaine family by descent.

Condition report:
Furniture in excellent cabinetmaking condition, with a beautiful buffer varnish. Original marble. Superb gilded morocco with small iron.

References :
Inventories kept in Chantilly, ratings ZR and 4PA.

My sincere thanks to the Chateau de Chantilly library team for their warm welcome.

Ref: PIDRJYJ32W