Neoclassical Brass Drinks Trolley with Removable Trays by Maison Baguès, circa 1940

This distinguished drinks trolley, by the celebrated Parisian house Maison Baguès, exemplifies the enduring appeal of the neoclassical style that dominated Parisian luxury interiors in the early twentieth century. Founded in Paris in the nineteenth century, Baguès became synonymous with exquisite brass and gilt-bronze work, supplying the finest hôtels particuliers and châteaux of France with lighting fixtures, furniture, and decorative objects of the highest calibre.

The trolley is constructed entirely in cast and hand-finished brass, its elegant proportions underscored by slender tapering legs joined by an openwork stretcher. Two removable rectangular trays sit within a delicate gallery—each suspended at a different level—allowing for the graceful service of drinks, glassware, or bijoux. The surface of the brass has developed a warm, honeyed patina over the decades, lending the piece an air of lived-in refinement.

The neoclassical vocabulary deployed throughout—acanthus-leaf capitals, fluted column legs, and the restrained elegance of the overall silhouette—reflects the taste of the Directoire and Empire traditions reinterpreted for a mid-century Parisian clientele. Such pieces were favoured by interior designers and hostesses of the grandes maisons who sought elegant yet practical additions to their reception rooms and salons.

A superb and rare example of Baguès’s mastery of the classical idiom in brass. In excellent condition, with a beautiful original patina. W. 84.5 × D. 54 × H. 67 cm.