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ID #SA500525
FOR SALE
£6,500
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Rare, Signed Befort Jeune for Mathieu Befort 1813-1880: Bonheur Du Jour
For sale by Timberhill Gallery
for sale €7,605     $8,255
£6,500
Timberhill Gallery

Timberhill Gallery

Sellingantiques Verified Since Feb 2014
Browse dealers 85 items
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Id #SA500525
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Rare, Signed Befort Jeune for Mathieu Befort 1813-1880: Bonheur Du Jour

19th century
Description

A fantastic mid 19th C French Bonheur du Jour by the renowned French cabinet maker Mathieu Befort. Mathieu followed his father Jean Baptise Befort into the cabinet business. His workshop was on the Neuve Saint Gilles Paris. Befort's work was of the highest quality and he made pieces for Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. This is a piece of the highest quality.

The piece is in a Bonheur du Jour or ladies writing desk is in the classical style, the piece is in coromandel wood, with exceptionally well cast gilt decoration. The drawer fronts and central drop door are hand painted with classical landscapes and figural groups. Internally the piece is lined with satin wood and has to small stationary drawers and a leather tooled writing slope.

The piece is topped with the original polished marble top and is signed Befort Jeune, the mark of Mathieu Befort to the frame below the marble.

The piece is in overall excellent condition. There is some minor craquelure to the paintings and wear to some of the gilt but nothing that detracts from the piece.

The marble top has some very minor old chips and a restored lamp vent.

Date of Manufacture

Timberhill Gallery has dated this Ebonised Bonheur Du Jour to the 1870s.

Independent Date Guide ID 04503675
Dealer's Item Date1870s
Sellingantiques Date1870s
Sellingantiques agingItem 145-170 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 1870s:
Befort Jeune stamp in the oak framing: Mathieu Befort workshop, Paris.
Crisply cast gilt-bronze mounts: high-quality Parisian metalwork of the period.
Fine parquetry and stringing to interior drawers: typical Second Empire cabinet making.
Hand-painted Vernis Martin style panels: 18th-century revival taste under Napoleon III.
Moulded marble top with grey veining: standard fitting for a French bureau.

This Independent Date Guide was compiled by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. It works only from the photographs shown on this page and is never told the date the dealer has declared. It is a guide, not a guarantee of age, and occasional errors can occur.

Physical Dimensions
Height
105cm (41.34")
Width
65cm (25.59")
Depth
45cm (17.72")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA500525
Description
A fantastic mid 19th C French Bonheur du Jour by the renowned French cabinet maker Mathieu Befort. Mathieu followed his father Jean Baptise Befort into the cabinet business. His workshop was on the Neuve Saint Gilles Paris. Befort's work was of the highest quality and he made pieces for Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. This is a piece of the highest quality.
“
The piece is in a Bonheur du Jour or ladies writing desk is in the classical style, the piece is in coromandel wood, with exceptionally well cast gilt decoration.
Timberhill Gallery

The drawer fronts and central drop door are hand painted with classical landscapes and figural groups. Internally the piece is lined with satin wood and has to small stationary drawers and a leather tooled writing slope.

fig 1. A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs.
fig 1. Rare, Signed Befort Jeune for Mathieu Befort 1813-1880: Bonheur Du Jour

The piece is topped with the original polished marble top and is signed Befort Jeune, the mark of Mathieu Befort to the frame below the marble.

The piece is in overall excellent condition. There is some minor craquelure to the paintings and wear to some of the gilt but nothing that detracts from the piece.

The marble top has some very minor old chips and a restored lamp vent.

Date of Manufacture

Timberhill Gallery has dated this Ebonised Bonheur Du Jour to the 1870s.

Independent Date Report ID 04503675
Dealer's Item Date1870s
Sellingantiques dating1870s
Sellingantiques agingItem 145-170 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 1870s:
Befort Jeune stamp in the oak framing: Mathieu Befort workshop, Paris.
Crisply cast gilt-bronze mounts: high-quality Parisian metalwork of the period.
Fine parquetry and stringing to interior drawers: typical Second Empire cabinet making.
Hand-painted Vernis Martin style panels: 18th-century revival taste under Napoleon III.
Moulded marble top with grey veining: standard fitting for a French bureau.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
105cm (41.34")
Width
65cm (25.59")
Depth
45cm (17.72")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA500525
Timberhill Gallery
Timberhill Gallery
Sellingantiques verified Since Feb 2014
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Timberhill Gallery Profile Page

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A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs.
1 / 6
Archive I A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs.

Rare, Signed Befort Jeune for Mathieu Befort 1813-1880: Bonheur Du Jour

Archive II A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs. View II
Archive III A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs. View III
Archive IV A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs. View IV
Archive V A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs. View V
Archive VI A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs. View VI
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Enlarged Archival View
Timberhill Gallery

Timberhill Gallery
Telephone 07805 249 756
Location
Bungay
Suffolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/bungay
Verified Since Feb 2014
Items For Sale 85
Items Sold 105
Timberhill Gallery
Timberhill Gallery
Verified Since Feb 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: Bungay, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/bungay
Verified
Feb 2014
For Sale
85
Sold
105
A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs.
Rare, signed Befort Jeune for Mathieu Befort 1813-1880: Bonheur du Jour
Ref: SA500525
A 19th-century French ebonised bonheur du jour writing desk featuring gilt-bronze ormolu mounts, hand-painted cabinet doors, a marble top, and slender cabriole legs.
Detail View 1
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Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectDesks
  • Period19th century
  • StyleNapoleon III
  • MaterialEbonised Wood, Ormolu, Marble
  • ColourBlack and Gold
  • MotifsOrmolu mounts, Cabriole legs, Vernis Martin panels, Caryatid mounts
  • SizeH 105 cm (41 in) x W 65 cm (26 in) x D 45 cm (18 in)

This Napoleon III style bonheur du jour ladies writing desk dates from 1870 and originates from France. The ebonised wood piece includes a polished marble top, cast ormolu mounts, caryatid mounts, cabriole legs, and hand-painted Vernis Martin panels depicting classical landscapes and figural groups in black and gold tones. Signed by Mathieu Befort, the design incorporates intricate gilt bronze decoration and classical detailing. The furniture measures 105 cm high, 65 cm wide, and 45 cm deep. Appropriate for placement in a formal study, drawing room, or elegant dressing area, the desk serves as both a functional writing surface and a display piece for a domestic interior. The upper section contains cabinet doors opening to internal stationary drawers and a writing slope, while the slender legs elevate the compact structure. The antique work suits traditional and period-inspired living spaces as a decorative focal point.

FAQs

Originating in 18th-century France, a bonheur du jour is a small-scale ladies writing desk featuring a raised cabinet or shelf section mounted above a flat writing surface. Popularised during the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods, these desks remained in production throughout the 19th century for private boudoirs and drawing rooms.

French ebonised furniture from the 19th century commonly utilises hardwoods such as pearwood, beech, or oak stained black to imitate ebony, paired with gilt-bronze (ormolu) mounts. Surfaces often feature marble tops, inlaid marquetry, or hand-painted Vernis Martin panels.

Authentic 19th-century French pieces display chased gilt-bronze (ormolu) mounts and maker stamps or signatures located on lock plates, rear frames, or undersides. Examination of construction reveals hand-cut dovetail joints, authentic timber oxidisation, and period-correct lock mechanisms.

Position the bonheur du jour as a focal accent piece against a painted or wallpapered wall, paired with a modern or traditional side chair. Decorate the upper surface sparingly with art glass, small marble busts, or books to leave the gilt-bronze detail visible.

Keep the desk in a climate-controlled environment away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent timber movement and veneer cracking. Dust ebonised surfaces with a dry microfibre cloth and clean ormolu mounts exclusively with a soft brush to preserve the patination.
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