EN CE MOMENT

Découvrez notre catalogue de mobilier et d’objets d’art ancien : Meubles Louis XV, Transition, Louis XVI, Directoire, Empire, Restauration, Napoléon III, d’époque expertisés.

BLOGS

Discover a wealth of information in our articles on furniture, art objects, their manufacturing methods, the conditions of their authenticity, etc.

Stamps on furniture of 18th cent.

Since 1743 in Paris, carpenters and cabinetmakers were required to have an individual stamp (“estampile”). This consisted of a mark made on all their furniture using an iron marked with their initials or first name.

The imprint of this punch must be carved on the lead table reserved for this purpose in the town hall. During the Revolution, this obligation ceased but some craftsmen continued to sign until the 19th century.

It should be noted that the obligation to stamp was not always respected; in some cases, the stamp was useless when it came to exceptional orders, such as royal furniture. Since the provenance of the furniture was known and certain, there was no point in putting a stamp. Some pieces of furniture also have two stamps: that of the carpenter who made the piece of furniture, and that of the merchant-mercer through whom he sold his furniture.