An ebony marquetry chest with a pearwood base, decorated in counterpart with stylised foliage and flowers, opening at the top, the interior with an original compartment, decorated with the coat of arms of César d'Albret (1614-1676), under a ducal crown with marshal's batons, and four intertwined monograms C DALBRET under a ducal crown in the spandrels. Mid 17th century. 10 x 37 x 28 cm (Restorations, cracks). Langeois, "Quelques chefs-d'œuvre de la collection Djahanguir Riahi", Milan, 1999, pp. 12-13.D. Alcouffe in "Un temps d'exubérance", cat. exp. Paris, 2002, pp. 243-245.A medallion cabinet with very similar decoration (ebony marquetry on a pearwood background) is now in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. These stylistic features can also be found in the interiors of a series of ebony cabinets, including those in the Musée d'Ecouen, the Château de Serrant and the Musée de la Légion d'Honneur in San Francisco (California).Born into a very old French aristocratic family, César d'Albret (1614-1676) was close to the Princes de Condé in the 17th century. His attachment to Cardinal de Mazarin earned him the rank of Marshal of France and Duke of the Realm.Expert: Pierre-François Dayot. Tel : 01 42 97 59 07