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

This distinguished neoclassical drinks trolley, created by the celebrated Parisian house Maison Jansen during the 1930s–1940s, embodies the refined elegance that defined French luxury interiors of the period. Executed entirely in polished brass, the piece reflects Jansen’s mastery in harnessing noble materials to convey both opulence and precision.

The trolley features two removable rectangular trays, each encircled by a delicate openwork gallery—a motif drawn from eighteenth-century French silver and porcelain design. The slender frame, raised on four elegant castors, tapers gracefully to the floor, lending the piece a lightness that belies its sturdy construction. The classical decorative vocabulary—beading, fluting, and geometric fretwork—reflects the firm’s consummate skill in translating historical sources into twentieth-century luxury objects.

Maison Jansen, founded in Paris in 1880, became one of the world’s most prestigious decorating houses, counting among its clients the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Shah of Iran, and the White House. This piece bears all the hallmarks of Jansen’s celebrated work: impeccable craftsmanship, historical rigour, and a timeless elegance that continues to define the finest interiors.