Console Louis XVI style; Paris, France, c. 1860.

Console Louis XVI style; Paris, France, c. 1860.
Oak frame, mahogany veneer and gilt bronze mounts. Antique green marble top.
Stamped Monbro Fils Ainé (Georges Alphonse Boniface Monbro).
Measurements: 87 x 84 x 38,5 cm.
French console table from the middle of the XIX century, signed in several points by the prestigious firm Monbro Aîné, recognized cabinetmaking house active in Paris during the Second Empire. The piece represents a refined example of late neoclassical furniture reinterpreted under the historicist eclecticism of the period. Executed in mahogany of the highest quality, the structure is distinguished by a silhouette of sober and elegant lines, carefully balanced to highlight the richness of the materials and the virtuosity of the applied ornamentation.
The body is decorated with a profusion of finely cast, chiseled and gilded mercury-gilded bronze motifs, adopting motifs characteristic of the neoclassical decorative repertoire: laurel wreaths, palmettes, rosettes, acanthus and Ionic capitals.
The worktop is made of antico green veined marble, a common material in this type of luxury furniture, chosen both for its resistance and for its decorative quality. The marble, with its polished surface and natural veining, introduces a chromatic and material contrast that accentuates the sumptuousness of the console.
Monbro Aîné et Cie was one of the most distinguished firms in nineteenth-century French furniture. Founded by a family of German origin settled in Paris and later also in London, the house specialized in the production of historically inspired furniture, mainly in the Louis XVI, Empire and Napoleon III styles. The appellation "Aîné" (the eldest) was used to distinguish the eldest brother who ran the family workshop, suggesting a hierarchical and well-organized company structure. The firm was internationally recognized, participating in prestigious events such as the Universal Exposition in London in 1851 and Paris in 1855, where it won distinctions for the technical and artistic excellence of its creations.
Monbro Aîné's clientele included the French nobility, high-ranking state officials, the wealthy bourgeoisie of the Second Empire and various European aristocratic houses. His production was characterized by the use of exotic woods, precision assemblies, and a careful application of ornamental ormolins that not only responded to decorum, but also to an academic understanding of the classical language.