What is a French cartonnier cabinet?

A cartonnier is a specialised French office cabinet featuring tiered boxes or drawers designed to store papers and documents, popularised during the 18th and 19th centuries.

What materials are typically used in Louis XV style cartonniers?

These pieces feature fine wood veneers such as kingwood and tulipwood arranged in parquetry patterns, accented with hand-chased gilt-bronze ormolu mounts and leather-fronted drawers.

How do experts identify authentic 19th-century French furniture?

Authenticity is confirmed through stamped maker signatures from recognised Parisian ebenistes, high-grade cast bronze mounts, precise joinery, and natural age-related patination on unvarnished surfaces.

How can a cartonnier cabinet be styled in a modern interior?

A cartonnier functions as a central statement piece in a contemporary home office or library, combining open book display with concealed filing storage.

How should fine marquetry and ormolu mounts be maintained?

Dust surfaces regularly with a dry microfibre cloth, avoid liquid polishes on gilt metal, and keep the environment at a stable humidity level to protect the timber veneers.

for sale €23,400 $25,400

£20,000

Royal House Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jun 2021

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Royal house antiques is a privately-owned family ran company founded in wimbledon in 2012 by husband and wife james and iris thorpe

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French Marquetry Bookcase

French Cartonnier Cabinet

Brown Wood Filing Cabinet

Id #SA1131150

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SAVE

Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

Name: Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1131150
Price: 20000 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Royal House Antiques

Description

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for this very important, highly collectable, original and fully restored Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet circa 1890 Paris

Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price

Where to begin, if you are reading this listing then most likely you know all about the great Victor Raulin, I will include a short Bio below, the top right corner of the base section is stamped Raulin which is period perfect for this piece.

Essentially what you have here is a dwarf open bookcase in Kingwood with some fabulous Ormolu mounts and a Cartonnier Cabinet top with brown leather drawers that have gold leaf embossed edges, the frame is also in Kingwood

Condition wise all the timber has been washed back and French polished from the ground up, the leather drawers have been straightened, stripped back, hand dyed six times, antiqued, sealed waxed down and polished

This piece is super unique, most likely the only one of its kind and a real statement piece not to mentioned a wonderful investment, a short google search will show you pieces from Raulin in the high tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands, his work is basically the finest of its type

Dimensions

Height:- 160cm, top height 66cm, base height 94cm

Width:- 81cm

Depth:- 40cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask

In 1878, Victor Raulin succeeded to his father's business, specialising in marquetry and lacquer furniture in the 18th century taste. He exhibited at the Paris 1878 and 1889 Expositions Universelles and was awarded medals for his entries. A closely related cabinet, with glazed as opposed to panelled upper doors, sold Christie’s, London, 21 April 2010, lot 182 (£15,000).

Any questions please feel free to ask.

Physical Dimensions

Height

160cm (62.99")

Width

81cm (31.89")

Depth

40cm (15.75")

Declaration

Royal House Antiques has dated this French Ormolu Cartonnier Cabinet to the 1890s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1131150

Description

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for this very important, highly collectable, original and fully restored Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet circa 1890 Paris

Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price

fig 1. A French Rococo Revival parquetry cartonnier cabinet with gilt bronze mounts, featuring a curved upper drawer tier and an open lower bookcase. — fig 1. Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

Where to begin, if you are reading this listing then most likely you know all about the great Victor Raulin, I will include a short Bio below, the top right corner of the base section is stamped Raulin which is period perfect for this piece.

fig 2. A French Rococo Revival parquetry cartonnier cabinet with gilt bronze mounts, featuring a curved upper drawer tier and an open lower bookcase. — fig 2. Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

Essentially what you have here is a dwarf open bookcase in Kingwood with some fabulous Ormolu mounts and a Cartonnier Cabinet top with brown leather drawers that have gold leaf embossed edges, the frame is also in Kingwood

fig 3. A French Rococo Revival parquetry cartonnier cabinet with gilt bronze mounts, featuring a curved upper drawer tier and an open lower bookcase. — fig 3. Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

Condition wise all the timber has been washed back and French polished from the ground up, the leather drawers have been straightened, stripped back, hand dyed six times, antiqued, sealed waxed down and polished

fig 4. A French Rococo Revival parquetry cartonnier cabinet with gilt bronze mounts, featuring a curved upper drawer tier and an open lower bookcase. — fig 4. Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

This piece is super unique, most likely the only one of its kind and a real statement piece not to mentioned a wonderful investment, a short google search will show you pieces from Raulin in the high tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands, his work is basically the finest of its type

fig 5. A French Rococo Revival parquetry cartonnier cabinet with gilt bronze mounts, featuring a curved upper drawer tier and an open lower bookcase. — fig 5. Important Antique Stamped Victor Raulin Cartonnier Cabinet Bookcase & Drawers

Dimensions

Height:- 160cm, top height 66cm, base height 94cm

Width:- 81cm

Depth:- 40cm

“

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask.