Antique Cabinets - Item 1015
Renaissance Cabinet

Item 1015 Renaissance Boiserie Cabinet Dimensions Width 78, Height 42½, Depth 15½ (in inches) Wood Solid oak Date Circa 1880 Country France Description This antique cabinet, most likely from the Dauphiné region of France and made in the late 19th century, is an example of boiserie – furniture custom-designed for large rooms in which individual pieces are married to wood paneling extending from floor to ceiling.  Framed by display niches on either side (each with a back panel of an arch containing a large, stylized feather), the cabinet has two doors and, below them, two very small drawers.  The bas relief carving evokes Renaissance Revival design elements of the French style known as Henri II, including patterns of vegetation on the doors and a frieze incorporating cabochons.  Lions heads, adding a touch of nobility, are placed at strategic points around the top.  For other pieces with the lion’s head motif, see two-piece cabinet 1027 and buffet cabinet 9440. Reference Boussel, Patrice, Les Styles du Moyen Age à Louis XIV  (Baschet et Cie, Paris, 1979) Uses Because of its narrow depth, the boiserie cabinet is ideal for foyers and hallways as well as more traditional uses in dining rooms and libraries.