Antique Pair French Louis Xv Parquetry Bombe Bedside Cabinets 19th C

An elegant pair of antique French Louis XV Revival serpentine bois de roi,  walnut and ormolu mounted bedside chests, circa 1870 in date.

 

The pair of cabinets are free standing with stunning Rouge Griotte marble tops above a serpentine fronted drawers with two dummy drawers below that open as a door to reveal a striking marble interior. They feature their original patinated bronze handles and mounts with superb bois de roi and walnut banding.

 

The cabinets are raised on swept legs with classic escargot feet.

 

Add an elegant touch to your home with these lovely bedside chests.

 

Condition:

In excellent condition having only been beautifully cleaned and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 85 cm x Width 45 cm x Depth 41 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 9 inches x Width 1 foot, 6 inches x Depth 1 foot, 4 inches

Griotte marble - is named after the griotte cherry because of its remarkable bright red colour. The more red the marble, the higher quality it is. When the marble contains many goniatites full of white calcite the marble is called “Partridge eye”.

The quarries, still active today, are in the Herault region and the name “Griotte from Italy” is a marketing label. Red Griotte was the favourite marble for Royal apartments in the 18th century, particularly for mantles, like the one in the office of Louis XIV in Versailles.

Walnut & Burr Walnut

Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable.

Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.

Walnut "burrs" were often used to make fabulous furniture.  Veneer sliced from walnut burl is one of the most valuable and highly prized by cabinet makers and prestige car manufacturers and is also a favourite material for shotgun stocks.

Our reference: A5140