MANNER OF FRANÇOIS ROUMIER, AN 18TH CENTURY FRENCH LOUIS XV CARVED GILTWOOD CENTRE TABLE The later serpentine inlaid top above a pierced rocaille carved frieze with foliage and flowerhead centered with a French Royal coat of arms, raised on four cabriole legs. (h 76cm x d 76cm x w 132cm) N.B. the design for this table was inspired by a series of giltwood stands created for Louis XV between 1731-1757, called Tables des Chasses. Each was created for a stucco top showing maps of various royal domains. The present table most closely follows the table created by Roumier in 1731 for the top showing the map of Versailles. Cf D.Meyer Versailles Furniture of the Royal Palace Dijon, 2002, pp. 200-209

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.