A Louis XVI mahogany travel chest with the arms of the marquises de Sigy

A LOUIS XVI SOLID MAHOGANY OFFICER'S CHEST
Solid mahogany, brass, steel
Paris, late 18th century

Provenance: Frédéric Auguste René du Roux, Marquis de Sigy (1762–1847), officer in the French Guards Regiment

This rectangular officer’s chest is crafted from solid mahogany and mounted with brass fittings. It features brass handles on each side and a circular brass medallion inset into the lid, engraved with the coat of arms of the du Roux de Sigy family (azure, three leopards’ heads gules) beneath a marquis’s coronet.

Originally, the chest opened via a lateral drawer, which has since been sealed. The interior now contains two removable walnut trays, each divided into two compartments and fitted with a central grip handle.

The chest is secured by a dual-locking system: a main lock on the front operated by a large key, and a secondary lock on the side, operated by a smaller key.

This piece may be attributed to either the cabinetmaker Jean-Philippe Palma or the gainier–tabletier Gensay, both active in Paris in the late 18th century. They were known for their finely crafted brass-inlaid mahogany cases, made for officers and travellers.