With paper label 'Violet Vicountess Melville'; the rectangular serpentine top with eared corners centrally inlaid with a marquetry panel depicting a woven basket filled with summer flowers with a bee and butterfly; above the writing slide lined with peach silk velvet, above one side drawer inalid with a foliate spray with a similarly inlaid apron, raised on slender cabriole legs with gilt-bronze foliate corner mounts, lacking sabots. 28 x 27 1/4 x 20 1/4 in.Provenance: P.W. French & Co.; Violet Viscountess Melville, probably Cotterstock Hall.Note: Violet Marie Louise Cochrane-Wishart Baillie (1892-1943), daughter of 1st Lord Lamington, was the wife of Henry Dundas, 5th Viscount Melville (1835-1904). They lived in Cotterstock Hall, Northamtonshire built in 1658 which now serves as a hotel. The Family seat is Melville Castle between Dalkeith and Lasswade near Edinburgh. The gothic castellated mansion was designed in 1786-91 by James Playfair for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville.Pierre Langlois was an 18th Century French cabinet-maker who spent part of his career in London. He was trained in Paris and obtained his maître menuisier in 1774. It has been speculated that he trained in the workshop of the notable Parisian cabinet-maker Jean-Francois Oeben due to the similarities in their floral marquetry designs, veneer chosen and techniques. We can only speculate that this offered lot was created by Langlois, since it is not stamped. The table displays both English (marquetry inlaid on a sycamore" ground) and French techniques (mahogany drawer linings and rococo shape). Pierre Langlois established his business in London in 1759 on 39 Tottenham Court Road. Langlois' trade card advertises the fact that he specialized in furniture with inlay "inscrutez des fleurs en Bois".According to Peter Thornton, "Langlois introduced the French picturesque fashion to the court of George III". He found wealthy patrons who appreciated his taste in Horace Walpole, the 4th Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Coventry and Sir Lawrence Dundas. The later owned a pair of George III marquetry commodes by Langlois for the Tapestry Gallery, Moor Park, Hertfordshire which sold for over $1 million at Christie's, London, July 3, 1997, lot 102. Sir Lawrence decorated his London townhouse and country house with furniture by Thomas Chippendale, Wiliam Vile, John Cobb with designed rooms by Robert Adam, Gobelins tapestries by Boucher. We can only speculate that this table made its way through the Dundas clan at Cotterstock Hall."