Riesener, Jean-Henri

(born July 4, 1734, Gladbeck, Münster—died Jan. 6, 1806, Paris, Fr.) French cabinetmaker. Son of an usher in the law courts of the elector of Cologne, he joined a workshop in Paris and became its head when his master died. In 1774 he was made royal cabinetmaker and from then on was the regular supplier of furniture to Marie-Antoinette. His preferred wood was mahogany; occasionally he used lacquer and mother-of-pearl to enrich his surfaces. His furniture exemplified the Louis XVI style.

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