93 - Pair of low, Egyptian-style bookcases in molded, carved, and gilded mahogany or mahogany veneer; rectangular in shape, the tops rest on entablatures with fluted channels centered on the winged disk of Amun-Ra; pilaster-style side panels with hieroglyphs, topped by capitals featuring Egyptian heads wearing nemes headdresses and facing priestesses; solid quadrangular base

Pair of low, Egyptian-style bookcases in molded, carved, and gilded mahogany or mahogany veneer; rectangular in shape, the tops rest on entablatures with fluted channels centered on the winged disk of Amun-Ra; pilaster-style side panels with hieroglyphs, topped by capitals featuring Egyptian heads wearing nemes headdresses and facing priestesses; solid quadrangular base Attributed to Charles Morel First quarter of the 19th century (originally a single central bookcase; alterations; restoration of the decoration) They bear labels from the cabinetmaker Morel and the date 1813 H: 92 - W: 150 - D: 44 cm Bibliography: Denise Ledoux-Lebard, *Le mobilier français du XIXe siècle, dictionnaire des ébénistes et menuisiers*, Les éditions de l’Amateur, Paris, p. 499 Following the French Expedition to Egypt, the *Description de l’Égypte* was published from 1809 to 1828—a monumental work that marked a significant turning point in the history of knowledge about Egypt, as well as in the development of Egyptomania. To house this pharaonic 23-volume work in various formats (from folio to plano), a sumptuous case is essential: an antique-style cabinet in the purest “Return from Egypt” style, designed by Edme-François Jomard—a French engineer and archaeologist who participated in the Egyptian Expedition—and crafted by the Parisian cabinetmaker Charles Morel Charles Morel began his career in the very last years of the 18th century. First mentioned in 1797 at Porte Saint-Honoré, he moved his workshop to 16 Rue Gaillon in 1804, where it remained until 1833. As early as 1807, Morel received several commissions from the Imperial Furniture Depot for everyday furniture. Morel himself produced various versions of his famous cabinet for the *Description de l’Égypte*, ranging from mahogany adorned with bronze to simple walnut accented with amaranth wood Originally, the top was designed as a Tronchin-style table, allowing for the examination of volumes. The lower section featured two openwork panels and shelves fitted with casters on which folio or plano volumes could rest flat. Depending on the type of wood and the richness of the decoration, the price ranges from 1,500 francs for models in mahogany and gilded bronze to 500 francs for minimalist models without carving. A well-known promotional drawing titled “piece of furniture suitable for holding the volumes of the Description of Egypt” was distributed by the cabinetmaker (see D. Ledoux-Lebard, op. cit., p. 498) Morel’s workshop produced a number of examples of this piece, including one that stood in Louis-Philippe’s study at the Louvre. A very fine example of this piece, made of mahogany veneer, is preserved in the Senate Library and was gifted by King Louis-Philippe to the Chamber of Peers.”