Turners of the Early Modern Period: Bonnier de la Mosson Auction

This translation of the lots for the workshop was done by the author who takes responsibility for the errors. This would not have been possible without the help of Ted Crom of Florida, USA, and Pierre Mourey of Paris, France, among others. As with any research, I believe it is a work-in-progress.

Note: As the contents of another room were sold first, the lot numbers begin at 98. The numbers in brackets are the marks that were written in the margins of the Gersaint catalog. It appears these may be the prices (in livres) realized at auction. When more than one number appears the author believes it is because a lot was split.

Catalogue Raisonne

Considerable Collection of diverse curiosities of all kinds, contained in the cabinet of the late Monsieur BONNIER DE IA MOSSON, Bailly & Captain of the Domain Varennc of the Tuilleries & former Colonel of the Dauphin's Regiment.

By E. F. GERSAINT

Paris 1744

Room of the Lathe

This room is one of the most attractive for those who like to make different works for themselves. It has not only a rose engine with all its features, making it one of the finest known, and of which we shall give a full description; there are also tools for turning between centres, all with fine finish and made to high standards. There are also suitable tools for the joiner, cabinetmaker and clockmaker, as for several other arts, and the workbenches to work on. Amongst other items found in the room are masterpiece turnings in wood and ivory and some curiosities of similar type, and a nice box with accessories for painting, mostly made of silver. All of which will be detailed below according to the lot numbers.

98. A magnificent rose engine of excellent construction, made with great strength and quality. Properly and well mounted, it is composed of two wheels of brass, one large and one small which is fitted to castings with proper sized bearings and mounted on a frame, also of brass, with thin side plates rising to a correct contour and of a form that is pleasing. This lathe has a solid spindle to be furnished with 16 circular rosettes of iron, together with 16 other brass rosettes for swash work, that slide on the end of the spindle, all serving to create various patterns of guilloches. Because this lathe does not have hollow spindle it can be found to have a single special chuck that is joined to its spindle on which it is held in the fixed position. Also ten other faceplates of brass of different sizes and clamps to enable one to adjust gradually so the work can be centered to the arbor which serves to hold roughed-out pieces. Four threaded screws made of brass, also of different sixes that one can adjust gradually up to the spindle seated within the headstock in order to be able to cut screw threads with a certain small tolerance suitable to these pieces. A very good condition English style chuck to make ovals with its adjustable ring. Another brass chuck, very well made and with a unique and unusual construction which is made to cut guilloches on box tops. It comes with all its parts to work with. Nine iron keys of different lengths, two auger drills and a tap fitted with purpleheart handles and made to thread wooden chucks etc. This lathe with all its pieces is able to satisfy the most particular person. [Items in brackets are the marks that were written in the margins of the Gersaint catalog.]

A small eight-drawer oak cabinet which comes with 49 fine steel tools. 40 are to shape mouldings and filets, eight of them are flat with many lines, beading tools and curved tools all fitted to be put in the tool-holder of the lathe. The 49th piece is a chuck used to make more new tools for the lathe. Also there are eight small boxes of different products to polish works and other trifles of little value. [1570]

99. A very beautiful machine to sharpen and polish the tools, equipped with its twin wheels of brass with pewter and other necessary wheels for its use; mounted on a table of walnut, well made, having its great wheel and attached pedal mounted on the two legs of iron equipped with their sliding bearing; also their rack and jack-screw suitable to raise this wheel as much as needed; the two base plates have feet that are made of a fashion to be able to attach with some screws on a floor board; the table which supports this machine can serve equally to place different headstocks for constructing an ordinary lathe and this piece becomes even more interesting; it has the advantage of holding the grind-stones for lapidary, being constructed in a manner that it is able to receive the grind-stones of different kinds. [180]

100. An assortment of 100 turning tools, very varied, large and small, for turning hard and soft woods, ivory, metal and etc., round, straight and curved; these tools are of the best tempered steel and in the best condition; they are all mounted on handles of padauk wood from India, beautifully turned with silver ferrules with knurled mouldings; they consist of gouges, skews, parting tools, beading tools, round-nose scrapers both single and double, turning tools straight and hooked, simple and double, D-drills, simple hooks of different sizes, and two large racks and two small ones of varnished oak, well carved and disposed to receive these tools. This assortment is one of the most complete and best condition that one could find. [1300]

101. A small cabinetmaker's bench of walnut situated on a chest of 12 drawers also of walnut; having some racks on the sides for placing tools, all well made; it is equipped on the front with a vise with screws and a polished iron key, furnished with a hold-fast also of polished iron, a mallet, a marking gauge, a triangle, a mitering plane, a small and a large rabbet plane, ten other rabbets, ten other mouldings planes serving for cabinetmakers and joiners; all of these are of purpleheart exotic wood, well made and equipped with their irons.

102. A broad axe. A good strong brace mounted in rosewood and provided with eleven bits of different sizes.

103. Five good screw stocks in wood equipped with their taps with a proper rack and serve as means of threading articles which need to be joined to the lathe. [38] [11]

104. A silver oiler for tools [25] [1]

105. An excellent oil stone from Turkey, one foot long, of four inch width mounted on its own rosewood base.[30]

106. A rule of brass divided on the two sides in equal parts. Ten brass compasses, of which several are simple and with steel points, others have quarter steel wings, two in the shape of figure eights of which one has divisions, another also an eight shape and a beam type, etc. [37] [2]

107. Eleven wood rasps, some flat, some half round, some rat-tails, with wood handles and brass ferrules. Fourteen gimlets of different sizes. [25] [18]

Forty-one other tools, such as German chisels, Paris gouges, mortise chisels, large and small, all mounted in purpleheart, equipped with polished iron ferrules, with their carved wood racks. [72]

108. Thirty-nine tools of different sixes and shapes mounted on handles of rosewood witli brass ferrules, useful for work on guns and armour, such as corner and half rounds, triangles, round and tapered; cutting chisels, straight chisels and curved. Vee-shaped gouges, hooked probes, gravers, etc., with their carved wood racks. [72] [1]

109. A small watchmaker's bench of walnut, mounted on a case of 14 drawers of oak, very nicely made.

110. A polished iron vice made in Paris, very solid and well finished, having a leg from its strap-hinge up to the jaw, with a double lead-screw which serves to hold it.

111. Eighty-two files of different shapes and sizes very suitably mounted with rosewood handles equipped with silver ferrules, like small rasps for wood and half rounds, 8 to 10 inches long English flat files, square, half-round, some rat-tailed, oval files, half-round broaches, files to cut, to round up, to equalize, triangular files, etc., with their oak wood racks suitably shaped.

112. Ten gravers with handles of Rosewood and silver ferrules also suitably made as those before. Three steel punches. Eight drills mounted in their bobbins of ivory. One rosewood breast plate also very suitably prepared and furnished with three different bows of whale bone mounted in ivory.

113. A small lathe of polished iron around two inch poppets, equipped with its supports and bearings as well as lock nuts and two points; and a bow of spring steel equipped with a suitable ratchet with ivory handle all very well made. A small silver box used to keep tools. A drill holder of steel with ivory bobbin, well finished. Sixteen drills and two reamers fitting this drill holder.

114. Another little lathe of polished steel, made with a drill holder with ivory bobbin and polished steel bow, wood handle fitted with silver ferrule and equipped with around a dozen small drills that are correct for it and placed in a small silver box. The whole also well executed and finished with as much care as the preceding article. [40] [1]

115. Two other silver boxes to hold small tools and both of them contain some fifty different small files and other tools of horology all mounted on rosewood and fitted with long silver ferrules. [120]

116. A small brace of polished iron very correctly made with handle and wrist of ivory and furnished with six drills of steel turned and shaped of different sizes. Three screwdrivers of hardened iron. [20] [9]

117. Seven steel hammers of different forms and sizes, and suited for different uses; all correctly mounted in rosewood and purpleheart wood; three of these hammers are ornamental with engraving. A screwdriver mounted the same. A reamer made the same way. A mass of iron polish mashed into a rosewood box and two mallets of different woods. [31] [6]

118. Thirteen excellent tools of iron and polished steel finished with care for different purposes. A large pair of tongs, a pair of fine shears, two flat nose pliers, a watchmaker's anvil, small press to rivet, a side-cutter, two pliers with both round and flat jaws, a very good hand vice, the end of its screw shaped like a star and leaves engraved on the jaws. Another small vice with removable handle also well finished.

119. Twenty-six other tools similar of those above for different uses. An anvil, two hand vices, several flat-nose and round-nose pliers, some shears, knifes, penknives, brushes, rivet tools etc.

120. A large and nice screw-plate with 17 screw holes complete with taps and a tap-wrench with the head ornamented with flowers and leaves. Another average size screw-plate with 8 taps. Another very small watchmaker's screw-plate also with 8 taps. Three steel scrapers with rosewood handles.

121. A saw of polished steel with ivory handle. A drill of brass with rosewood handle. A rule of brass, divided in the King's feet, three scrapers of steel with rosewood handles.

122. A very nice saw for piercing, mounted with ivory handle furnished with a key for its screws. Another bigger saw, good and strong with rosewood handle and very well made. An ordinary brass square. Another brass square with a stock with one side for mitering. Three steel scrapers with rosewood handles. [40] [10]

123. A small clock-work of brass with various gears fitted with a center piece. Some clock dials of brass. [4]

123. A very lovely press of iron with two platens of iron with strong frame. The screw and handle for pressing discs to make seals. [241] [[1O]

124. A small group of 3 drawers in oak all painted red. Forty-two moulds of horn, with 4 double-ended burnishers, suitable for rubbing images. 19 iron the stamps with rosettes, leaves and other ornaments for moulding impressions of these marks. [160]

125. A small chest of drawers, very well made and used for painting. It is furnished in its top with a stone to crush pigments with a pestle in silver, with 4 bottles of crystal for various oils and varnishes. The front is formed by 8 small drawers in which there are 29 containers, full of different colours, 2 small pots of silver for fat oil, 5 pallets of different woods and sizes. An Etui of ivory containing several compartments and colours to paint miniatures. 60 paint brushes with handles of ebony. Some other brushes and colours in tubes. Most drawers are separated in several compartments for receiving their different implements and ingredients for this art. It forms the most pleasurable and complete set of tools for a serious painter or amateur. [300?)] [10]

126. A pencil case with ends of different sizes.

127. A very fine easel for painting made of cherry wood and carved with many designs, fitted with polished iron hardware so that it can fold up within itself.

128. A small group of 50 drawers of rosewood and convenient for keeping metals and seashells. Its drawers are filled with nails, some gilt, screws, eye screws and other bits of metal.

129. Two large standing brass candelabra. 4 crystal bottles and 9 red copper glue pots, [9] [3]

130. Two weights of pewter of 25 pounds and another of 12 pounds. [39] [6]

131. A stool of S legs, very high, properly made, designed to work comfortably at different tasks. [14] [10]

132. Four packages containing 404 wheels, gears, pulleys of copper, different sizes, S English padlocks, a valve to tap casks and some other items. [38]

133. A brass candlestick, well made and furnished with 2 small mirrors for reflecting and intensifying the light. [37] [12]

134. Two major works of turning made in Germany forming 2 covered communion cups enclosing a quality of goblets placed inside; the whole executed in wood. Another small piece in the same taste. [[30] [1]

135. A turning similar to the preceding and two pieces of ivory of the same type. [15] [10]

136. Another piece made on the lathe representing a hanging chandelier, enclosed in a glass globe of which the opening is smaller than the chandelier. Two intertwined balls of burl wood which are enclosed in an oval snuffbox of a size greater than the opening in the balls. A set of round templates made out of brass. [30]

137. A very beautiful vase of ivory, very historic, in perfect condition and the work is turned from one piece.

138. Five other small examples of lathe work in wood or ivory.

139. The representation of the tower of Nanking made in ivory. A large vase in ivory and another very small vase of the same material. A piece representing a soldier mounted on a round wood base and skillfully set in a glass case.

140. An old powerful piece of sculpture in the Gothic taste, representing a cross of several compartments in which are engraved different subjects of the life of the Saviour, all finished with much delicacy. A virgin in ivory.

141. A large staircase turning in ivory, very delicately finished, well conserved under a clear glass case. Another clear glass case to receive a similar work. A varnished case of wood with large clear glass sides to hold curiosities of the same type.

142. A copper vent-hood to exhaust odours. Four other vases of wood and one of Rhino horn. A foot long brass bracket. [27] [14]

143. Seven wood shelves of oak, varnished, with galleries on their edges and with ornate carved brackets for their support. [24] [10]

[No. number listing] The woodwork and panelling in the room. [250] [10]

View the introductory article to the auction catalog