Kingwood Table De Chevet
These kingwood table de chevet pieces are French bedside cabinets and occasional tables that bring distinctive continental refinement to a room.
Kingwood Table De Chevet
A kingwood table de chevet is a small bedside cabinet or table, originating in France and typically designed for the bedroom or boudoir. These pieces appear in forms ranging from circular cabinets to bombe shapes and two-tier occasional tables.
The selections available here span from the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, particularly drawing on the French Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Buyers frequently find matching pairs alongside individual side tables.
Most examples incorporate fitted marble tops and intricate inlaid marquetry or parquetry patterns across the timber surfaces. They serve as practical small storage units while maintaining a decorative presence.
How They Were Made
Cabinet makers utilised dense exotic timbers such as kingwood and rosewood over a supportive wood veneer structure, often incorporating satinwood and walnut for contrasting detail. These woods allowed artisans to create precise geometric parquetry and pictorial floral marquetry designs.
Mounts and galleries in cast brass, ormolu and gilt bronze were applied to edges and corners to accent the serpentine and bombe contours of the woodwork. Finished pieces frequently topped these structures with shaped slabs of polished marble.
The listings span from the nineteenth century into the 1930s, uniting kingwood, rosewood, walnut, marble, brass and ormolu.
What Varies in Quality
The precision of the marquetry and parquetry work sets finer examples apart, showing tight joins and deliberate grain selection rather than simple surface printing. The complexity of the cabinet silhouette, such as a pronounced bombe curve, demands greater skill from the maker.
Hardware execution also defines the tier of a piece, with finely chased ormolu and heavy cast brass mounts indicating superior workshop production. The thickness and figuring of the fitted marble top further distinguish the standard of manufacture.
The Kingwood Table De Chevet Glossary
- Kingwood
- A dense, richly figured timber native to Brazil, prized for its dark violet-brown tones and distinct grain. It was heavily utilised by eighteenth-century French cabinet makers and later revival workshops.
- Marquetry
- The art of applying small pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns or pictorial scenes. Artisans cut contrasting woods together to ensure tight, seamless fits.
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze mounts applied to furniture edges, feet and handles for decorative accent. The technique involves treating metal with a mercury and gold amalgam.
- Bombe
- A swollen or bulging contour shape typical of rococo case furniture. This curved profile requires advanced woodworking and veneer bending techniques.
- Parquetry
- Geometric wood inlay work forming repeating patterns such as cubes or lozenges. It creates a structured, architectural surface texture.
Kingwood Table De Chevet: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a table de chevet?
A table de chevet is the French term for a bedside table or small bedside cabinet. These compact pieces were traditionally designed to sit beside a bed for night-time storage.
In modern interiors, they function equally well as small side tables or lamp stands in reception rooms.
How do I identify Louis XV style?
Louis XV style pieces are characterised by asymmetrical curves, serpentine lines and floral marquetry. They often feature cabriole legs and restrained ormolu mounts rather than straight architectural columns.
Later nineteenth-century revival pieces adopted these same flowing contours and decorative motifs.
Are these tables practical for daily use?
Most of these cabinets include enclosed cupboard space or small drawers behind their decorative doors. Their marble tops provide a durable, wipe-clean surface for lamps and everyday items.
Care should be taken to protect the wood veneer and polished stone from harsh moisture and direct heat.
How do I spot kingwood timber?
Kingwood displays a dark walnut ground marked with distinct golden-brown or violet stripes. It has a heavy, dense weight and takes a high natural polish.
Craftsmen often used it sparingly as a veneer over softer carcase woods due to its cost and weight.