The ingenuity of André-Charles Boulle’s (1642-1732) designs, luxurious marquetry and spectacular mounts has ensured the popularity of his furniture with collectors down the centuries, to such a degree that other cabinetmakers have even looked to copy and reinterpret his work. The 4th Marquess of Hertford (1800–1870), a founder of the Wallace Collection, was such a collector, and he brought together a large group of Boulle furniture in London and Paris, as well as later pastiches, which were often conflated in the 19th century. Using his exceptional wealth and social status, he also commissioned copies of famous Boulle pieces he was unable to acquire.

Much of Hertford’s Boulle collection can today be found at the Wallace Collection, and is cared for, along with all other objects, by a specialist conservation team. The delicate nature of Boulle furniture, combining organic and inorganic materials, has meant that its preservation has been a priority from the museum’s earliest days.

Find out more about Hertford’s collection of Boulle furniture, as well as its conservation at the museum, using the tabs above.