A pair of fine poplar wall mount map cabinets veneered in mahogany, each with six pull-out drawers featuring maps

A RARELY SEEN KIND OF GEOGRAPHICAL ATLAS, THAT IS, A SET OF MAPS PRESERVED IN FINE WALL MOUNT CABINETS HIDING AN ELABORATE PULL DOWN AND ROLL UP MECHANISM; VERY RARE, ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY AND SO ELEGANTLY CRAFTED. A pair of fine poplar wall mount map cabinets veneered in mahogany, each with six pull-out drawers featuring maps signed "J. Andriveau–Goujon, Paris, 1837." The front of each drawer bears an inlaid and engraved label stating in French the subject on the map: the first reads "Mappe Monde, Asia, Africa, Turquie d’Europe, Prussie d’Europe, Allemagne," and the other "France, G.[ran]de Bretagne, Italie, Espagne, Amerique du Nord, Amerique du Sud." The cymatium is shaped and carved with leaf motifs and rosettes. The spring mechanisms that allow one to pull out and then collapse the maps by rolling them up back in place are made of brass, iron, and steel springs. Sizes: 58 x 69.5 x 12 cm. Genoa, Italy, ca. late 1830s or early 1840s. This pair of fine cabinets, designed to house a geographical atlas, was part of a library furniture attributed to the cabinet maker Henry Thomas Peters (1792-1852). Originally from England, he moved his business to Genoa in 1817; along with Gabriele Capello, he was the cabinet maker most frequently employed by architect Pelagio Palagi for work at the Savoy court. For this reason, his work is characterised by ornamental motifs derived from the Palagian style, which in this case can be seen in the carved motifs on the cabinet tops, adorned with anthemions and rosettes. The maps are taken from a collection published by J. Andriveau and J. Goujon (fl. 1805-94), working collectively as Andriveau-Goujon, were among the most prominent cartographic publishers in 19th century France. Maps by Andriveau-Goujon are often confusing to identify as they can be alternately singed J. Goujon, J. Andriveau, J.Andriveau-Goujon or simply Andriveau-Goujon. They published numerous pocket maps and atlases throughout the 19th century and often worked with other prominent French cartographers of the time such as Brue and Levasseur. Henry Thomas Peters was a cabinetmaker in Genoa during the first half of the 1800s. An eclectic figure, he divided his time between artistic and political commitments in the social life of those years. Born in Windsor in 1792 to a French mother and an English father, he trained in the craft of cabinetmaking and carving likely in his father’s workshop. He arrived in Genoa in 1817, where he settled and where he died in 1852. In the Ligurian city, he won the favour of some of the most prominent families: the Brignole-Sale, De Mari, and, especially, the Durazzo, who gave him the opportunity to open an independent workshop on Via Balbi. This was a cutting-edge workshop equipped with the first industrial machines for woodworking and organised "in the English style," not only for the production chain but also for the construction techniques and materials most commonly used. Henry Thomas Peters, in fact, built with the typical joinery techniques he had learned in his homeland. He preferred oak wood for the structural parts and the valuable mahogany for the visible parts. A port city like Genoa favoured the procurement of this exotic wood. Especially at the beginning, his furniture was made in the Regency style, which he was familiar with and which was very successful for its severe yet elegant charm. Thanks to the refinement and high quality of his furniture, Henry Thomas Peters was commissioned in 1828 by the Savoy family; initially for the Royal Palace of Genoa, and later for other residences, creating furniture for the Royal Palace of Turin and, above all, for the Castles of Pollenzo and Racconigi. REFERENCES: - Noemi Gabrielli, Racconigi, Istituto Bancario San Paolo, Torino, 1972. - Roberto Antonetto, Gabriele Capello “Moncalvo” Ebanista di due re; Umberto Allemandi, 2004; - Antonella Rathscüler, Henry Thomas Peters e l’industria del mobile nell’Ottocento, Il canneto editore, Genova, 2014.…