Neoclassical Oval Brass Drinks Trolley with Two Glass Shelves, French Work, France, circa 1940

A neoclassical oval drinks trolley in polished brass, its two tiers furnished with clear glass shelves that allow the warm lustre of the brass framework to be appreciated from every angle. The structure, composed of a pair of oval end frames joined by stretchers of classical profile, is supported on four casters that allow the trolley to be moved with ease from room to room. The oval form, a particularly refined choice in preference to the more common rectangular, imparts an elegance of contour that is entirely in keeping with the neoclassical vocabulary to which the piece belongs.

The drinks trolley occupied an important place in the domestic ritual of the mid-twentieth century French bourgeois interior, functioning simultaneously as a piece of furniture and a prop for the theatre of entertaining. This example, its oval form and neoclassical brasswork marking it as a product of the French ateliers of the 1930s and 1940s, possesses the quiet assurance of a piece made for lasting use. The combination of brass and glass — materials that complement one another in their shared play on light — creates a piece that animates rather than dominates a space, adding warmth and sparkle in equal measure.

In very good condition consistent with age, the brass presenting a deep golden patina and the glass shelves intact. The casters are operational. A piece of genuine elegance, suited to a dining room, a drawing room, or a bar area in a home or hotel of character.