Bonhams 1793 : A Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted kingwood parquetry bureau plat of San Francisco interest late 19th century

The gilt banded rectangular top with inset leather writing surface, each corner with foliate gilt mounts above three drawers divided by cornucopia mounts, the center drawer mounted with a mask of Bacchus, espagnolettes at each corner and masks of Beauties on each scrolled side apron, raised on cabriole legs ending in gilt acanthus and articulated paw feet, bearing inventory label I.Magnin San Francisco.
height 32in (81cm); width 80in (203cm); depth 39in (99cm)

Sold for US$ 8,750 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance:
ex. collection Cyril Magnin, San Francisco, California

Cyril Isaac Magnin (18991988), aka "Mr. San Francisco," was one of the most prominent San Francisco businessmen of the post World War II era, chief executive of the Joseph Magnin Co. multi-million dollar chain of upscale women's clothing stores.

Personally gracious and urbane, Magnin was a veteran political fund raiser and power broker in the Democratic Party, dating back to New Deal days. He was Treasurer of President Franklin Roosevelt's northern California re-election campaign in 1944, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1948 and again in 1964, and supported the candidacy of John Kennedy.

He was deeply involved in civic affairs his entire life. He was President of the Port of San Francisco and was instrumental in establishing such internationally renowned institutions as the Asian Art Museum, the American Conservatory Theater and the California Culinary Academy. Serving also as the city's first "Chief of Protocol", Magnin reveled in the informal title of "Mr. San Francisco". He appeared in the film Maxie as Mr. San Francisco, and in Foul Play as Pope Pius XIII.

Category: Furniture / European Furniture and Works of Art

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