Drop-front secretaire of oak veneered with ebony and foliate panels in contre-partie Boulle marquetry of engraved tortoiseshell on brass, with chased gilt bronze mounts. Lower section of tombeau form contains two drawers; upper section contains nest of drawers behind a drop-front which is mounted with a bronze plaque chased with a scene of putti hunting. Mounts include acanthus foliage, an espagnolette mask and fan-shaped motifs. On four short cabriole legs. At some date prior to 1777, probably in the early 1770s Levasseur constructed this secretaire by adding the upper stage to an existing late seventeenth century/early eighteenth century chest of drawers and applying the marquetry panel forming the top of the original piece on to the drop-front of the secretaire. The bronze plaque, which may have already been part of the comte du Luc's collection, could have been added at his request. The lower stage conforms to a well-known model which has been attributed to André-Charles Boulle. Levasseur was one of a group of ébénistes working in the third quarter of the eighteenth century who catered to a revival in taste for Boulle furniture and who, as in this instance, adapted existing pieces to create new models. Adapted from 'Carlton House: The Past Glories of George IV's Palace', London 1991.