Wonderful Quality French Aesthetic Period “Japonisme” Faux Bamboo Hall Stand of Grand Proportions with Central MirrorFrench Circa 1890 Of broadly rectangular form, this fine piece of hall furniture includes a large central mirror and the usual array of hat holders, a stick stand with removable drip tray and coat hooks, the top being framed by a fine triangular pediment. The mirror is a later distressed plate. During the late 19th century craze for Japonisme (or Japanese-influenced orientalism) faux bamboo furnishings and even pieces in that style made in cast iron became popular and many hall stands were produced in this vein. The scale and sheer quality of the carving on this example set it apart from other examples of its type, as does the intricacy of the pattern formed by the faux bamboo mouldings. The burr veneers used for the body of the piece set off the “bamboo” work beautifully and the survival of the original large central mirror plate is remarkable given...