Furniture · Folk art · Sacred art
The beautiful, the exceptional, the authentic. Discover a selection of past sales that reflect the quality of G & M Bourguet.
A few pieces that have found new homes.
From an extremely rare series of only a few known newspaper racks carved by Jean-Baptiste Côté (1832–1907) around 1880. Together with the example in the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ), these two racks, “Scène de ferme” and “Les Hurons,” make up the three complete examples known today (see fig. 161 in Jean-Baptiste Côté, caricaturiste et sculpteur, Mario Béland, Musée du Québec). A landmark work by a major artist in Canadian history.
A museum-quality 17th-century Louis XIII-style Quebec baluster chair in yellow birch (merisier) with its original surface, once part of Jean Paul Lemieux’s collection, as documented by photographs. These extremely rare chairs, in the Louis XIII taste of the mother country, probably come from the Augustinian Sisters of Québec City. A rare survivor from the earliest days of the French presence in New France.
A rare wood carving by Jean-Baptiste Côté (1832–1907): a hunter, one of his favourite subjects, beside stumps, foliage and flowers, in original reddish-brown varnish with an exceptional oxidized patina. Probably a smoker’s piece for tobacco and pipes. Found at the Lachute flea market in the late 1980s and sold by us at the Old Montreal antiques show, it passed from collector to dealer before returning to us. 11 in. high.
An important Quebec hooked rug: a leaping hare, as if caught mid-run, and a resting deer around a majestic tree of life. From the great collection of the late Robert Picard of Lavaltrie. Illustrated in Michel Lessard’s La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec and in René Bouchard’s La somme d’une vie (p. 88). 49 × 27 in.
A magnificent fragment depicting the Christ Child in carved pine, with its original surface—what a wonderful face! From a life-size Saint Joseph by Louis Jobin. Circa 1880.
The famous Dion tobacco jar, complete: the “holy grail” of Quebec pottery. Experts estimate that only about five complete examples survive. The crisply defined moulded scenes suggest an early example.
A rare large beaver, 18 in. long, carved by Wilfrid Richard (1894–1996) during his finest period.
A rare large pair of Quebec carved pine hangings, recently discovered in the Rimouski region. Very old white repaint decorated with stars symbolizing the heavens beneath a gilded garland, over a first surface of azure blue. A few similar hangings are known as hearse ornaments, but to our knowledge they are far rarer as altar decoration, as here.
An extremely rare tobacco jar carved from Saint-Marc-des-Carrières limestone, topped with the lion of Saint Mark, the town’s patron saint, and decorated in high relief with grapes, apples, acorns, ivy and fruit. These rough-hewn gems were made by the town’s stonecutters during the off-season. In the same family for nearly a century and in perfect condition.
A wonderful Quebec pine tabernacle door from the Ursulines of Trois-Rivières, carved from a single piece, which is rare. Second half of the 19th century.
A Quebec armoire in very old blue paint over its original blue paint. No restorations. Superb dry finish and a remarkable back. Provenance: Saint-Félix-de-Valois. Circa 1830. 57 in. wide × 77 ¼ in. high × 17 ½ in. deep.
One of the fine, very small candlestands of French Canada, in a very old green overpaint over the original brown. Key-mounted top, fixed at its centre and turned by four scrolls; chamfered tripod base ending in slender hoof feet (sabots). Forged nails and large pegs. Circa 1800–1830. Formerly Groupe Commerce; formerly Brousseau (Château Frontenac exhibition, 1980); formerly Harriet Hawkins, who found it in Saint-Pierre, Île d’Orléans.
A pair of small pine diamond-point doors (St. Andrew’s cross) from the upper section of a two-part cupboard. Exceptional bold quarter-round panel mouldings, diamond points projecting more than ¾ inch, double pegging in aligned rows. Original pearl-ended vase hinges and escutcheons. Salmon over khaki, over moss green, over cherry red, over blue. Circa 1740.
Two major pieces from John Marshall & Co.’s “Canadian Winter Sports” series: the extremely rare large basin decorated with ten scenes, in excellent condition apart from a few fine hairline glaze cracks, and the large pitcher decorated with three scenes, in excellent condition.
A sumptuous Quebec bow-front commode of striking beauty, made almost entirely of curly maple (secondary wood: pine), from the French Regime. Scrollwork carved from the solid, a shaped apron, a superb top mitred at 45 degrees, fully pegged construction and a panelled back blackened by its natural patina. From a founding family of the Varennes region. A museum-quality commode.
Many pieces that have passed through our hands are illustrated in the authoritative books on Quebec’s furniture heritage.
Jean Palardy, Les meubles anciens du Canada français: a Louis XV-style console, formerly in the Paul Gouin collection.
John Fleming, Les meubles peints du Canada français: a Louis XIV-style cupboard, a crossbow-front commode and a Louis XV-style commode, a very rare Louis XV rococo armoire, a tiny diamond-point cupboard in original polychrome, an “homme debout” tall cupboard, a Louis XIII-style armchair (p. 38), a red Louis XIII-style box and the Montmagny crucifix.
Michel Lessard, La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec: the medallion of the child Saint John the Baptist, a primitive buffet, candlesticks, a pair of Louis XIV-style cupboard doors, a small serpentine commode, a capucine armchair, a blue “champi” open dresser and a hooked rug with a hare and a deer.
Mario Béland, Jean-Baptiste Côté, caricaturiste et sculpteur: Jean-Baptiste Côté’s habitant and the series of newspaper racks to which the two we sold belonged (fig. 161).
Blake McKendry, Folk Art: a large hooked rug dated 1888.
René Bouchard, La somme d’une vie: the hooked rug with a hare and a deer (p. 88).
John Fleming and Michael Rowan, L’art populaire au Canada: a carved head from Charlesbourg.
Jacques Blais, L’art populaire au berceau de la Nouvelle-France: the rooster on the cover, from Pointe d’Argentenay on Île d’Orléans.
Armoires, buffets, commodes, seating and small furniture, from New France to the early 19th century.
Of all the Quebec pieces we hoped to find one day, the Louis XIII turned chair known as the “Île d’Orléans” chair topped the list. These were most likely made in the second half of the 17th century in New France. Double-pegged yellow birch (merisier): a wide single-plank seat, back legs chamfered on all four edges, and harmonious turning in the pure Louis XIII style. They come from the collection of a central figure in Quebec ethnographic history of the mid-20th century.
An exceptional and extremely rare Louis XV-style console in finely carved pine. Illustrated in Jean Palardy’s Les meubles anciens du Canada français. Formerly in the Paul Gouin collection, from the Mercier Gouin family. Second half of the 18th century.
A Quebec pine buffet with triple raised mouldings. Original powder-blue paint. Second half of the 18th century.
A rare Louis XIII-style Quebec baluster chair, late 17th century. In the same photo, a Louis XIII-style Quebec box in its original red paint, illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français (18th century).
An extremely rare, very small Louis XIV-style Quebec pine buffet from a religious community. Circa 1800.
An exceptional, very small Louis XIV-style Quebec bombé buffet. Vase-and-pearl hinges. Wonderful original blue-grey paint; an archival photo shows it under its mid-19th-century faux-finish overpaint. First part of the 18th century.
A primitive Quebec buffet with its wonderful “dry” surface of very old blue-green over blue-green over original grey. Illustrated in Michel Lessard’s La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec. Circa 1800.
An exceptional and extremely rare Louis XV-style Quebec commode in tiger maple. Pierced rocaille base and abundant carved floral decoration. Quévillon school. A few of these rare commodes are known to come from Sainte-Geneviève-de-Pierrefonds. Late 18th century.
An exceptional Louis XIII-style Quebec armchair in yellow birch (merisier) and oak. Old dark brown paint over original red varnish. Double-pegged throughout. First quarter of the 18th century. Illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français (p. 38).
A most elegant Louis XIII stool in yellow birch (merisier) and pine. Very old black over old ochre over original red varnish. Mid-18th century. Provenance: a family and the church of Île Verte.
A Louis XIII-style Quebec cantor’s stool in very old grey surface over its original walnut stain; the seat is pierced with a hand grip. Butternut, assembled with large pegs and forged nails. From the church of Saint-Charles-Borromée in Charlesbourg’s Trait-Carré. Late 18th to first quarter of the 19th century. Pictured with a carved cow signed and dated Claude Côté 1929.
A unique Louis XIV-style Quebec cupboard with a trompe-l’œil drawer hidden in the cornice. Superb original polychrome. Illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français. 18th century. Pictured with an extremely rare pair of primitive Quebec cantor’s stools (late 18th–early 19th century).
A small primitive Louis XIII-style armoire with panelled doors carved from the solid. Original surface, never repainted. 18th century.
A Quebec “homme debout” tall cupboard illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français. 18th century.
A rare Louis XIII-style Quebec step stool in butternut, original oxidized royal blue. 18th century. From the village of L’Islet, where Marius Barbeau photographed it in 1928.
An important small serpentine Quebec commode, with later layers removed to reveal its wonderful, very old blue-grey surface over the original paint. Illustrated in Michel Lessard’s La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec. 18th century. A photograph shows it under a brown overpaint when it was discovered in the 1970s.
An exceptional Louis XIII-style Quebec post “V” chest in a wonderful oxidized blue surface. It never had a lock or a till. Fine Louis XIII proportions. Forged nails and original strap hinges. Provenance: Charlevoix. Circa 1780–1830.
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A carved wooden habitant by Jean-Baptiste Côté (Québec City, 1832–1907), original surface, circa 1880. Illustrated in Mario Béland’s Jean-Baptiste Côté, caricaturiste et sculpteur (Musée du Québec, Les Publications du Québec).
A high-relief carved medallion of the child Saint John the Baptist, circa 1880. Illustrated in Michel Lessard’s La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec, attributed to Jean-Baptiste Côté (Québec City, 1832–1907).
A carved and painted wooden ornament from a child’s hearse, depicting a sleeping angel. Quebec, circa 1850. Formerly in the Paul Gouin collection.
A crucifix from the first charnel house of Montmagny. Original surface. Illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français. 19th century.
A flaming Sacred Heart carved from a single piece, in original oxidized red and gold (first half of the 19th century, from the important collection of Dr. Yves Lacourcières); a pair of carved angels in very old white and gold over black, from the great Paul Gouin collection, bearing their Gouin catalogue number on the back and acquired with a signed document from the Paul Gouin estate; and an important carved cow, signed and dated 1929 by Claude Côté, son of Jean-Baptiste Côté, with its original tin horns.
Quebec candlesticks illustrated in Michel Lessard’s La nouvelle encyclopédie des antiquités du Québec (early 19th century); a pine box abundantly carved with religious symbols and geometric motifs (first half of the 19th century); and an exceptional crèche lamb carved from a single piece, in original surface, one front leg delicately “floating” free of the base (19th century).
A carved and painted figure by Joseph Shink (Beaumont, 1884–1963), circa 1950. It was sold with original photographs of the artist.
A family of carved and painted figures by Joseph Shink (Beaumont, 1884–1963), circa 1950.
An exceptional Quebec checkerboard decorated with diamond points and rosettes. Original surface. Early 19th century.
A Mohawk tikinagan (cradleboard) from the Morgan estate, Montreal. Mid-19th century.
Undeniably one of the finest works by Charles-Édouard Gaudreault (1912–1989). This spectacular painted horse captures the strength and simplicity of an artist deeply rooted in his native Charlevoix (Les Éboulements). One of his earliest works, yet already at the height of his art.
An extremely rare large carved and painted moose by Joseph Arthur Bouchard of Charlevoix. 17 ½ in. long × 15 in. high.
A remarkable oil on panel: Québec seen from Pointe de Lévis, circa 1851.
A large Canadian hooked rug decorated with hearts, thistles and a horse, dated 1888. Illustrated in Blake McKendry’s Folk Art.
This spectacular hooked rug with farm animals once graced the dining room of the Donahue family in Charlevoix (19th century). Around it: a tiny bombé corner cupboard in original surface, a small box and a capucine armchair (18th century), illustrated in John Fleming’s Les meubles peints du Canada français, and a Louis XIII-style Quebec turned table (18th century).
Mœurs des sauvages ameriquains, comparées aux mœurs des premiers temps, by Father Joseph-François Lafitau. First edition in two volumes, Paris, 1724. Collated and in excellent condition.
An extremely rare four-volume set of the Histoire de l’Amérique septentrionale by Bacqueville de La Potherie (1663–1736), an officer in Canada who completed these texts in 1702. The work was printed in 1722. Spectacular maps and engravings. Part travel account, part memoir, it recounts the history of New France and of Indigenous peoples in the 17th and 18th centuries. Remarkable condition.
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