Antique Cabinets - Item 1016
Renaissance Cabinet

Item 1016 Renaissance Cabinet in Walnut Dimensions Width 26½, Height 65, Depth 17½ (in inches) Wood Walnut Date Circa 1880 Country France Price $3,995   Description This solid walnut cabinet is comprised of two pieces, a top and bottom, each with a one-door cabinet having its own key.  The bottom portion contains a drawer and the top portion has a pull-out wood surface for writing.  Both doors are hand-carved, bas relief, with the top door having a female head in profile and the bottom door a male.  Rather than being the likenesses of the original owners of the cabinet, we expect they are idealized portraits of Renaissance nobility in faithful adherence to Renaissance and Gothic iconography, as was common in 19th century France including the style known as Henri II.  Ultimately, the convention of rendering faces in profile dates back to Renaissance ceramics (e.g., Urbinoware) and medieval coins following imperial Roman tradition.  The intricate carving on the doors and drawer reflect traditional foliage scrolls and arabesques drawn from engravings of the period such as those of Jean Bérain illustrating designs for royal entertainment at Versailles.  For other items with Renaissance style portraits, see dressoir 1033 and chest 3213. Visible in moulding of the top is a disfiguration that appears to be a burn mark (see close-up photo, below). Reference Boccador, Jacqueline, Le Mobilier Français du Moyen Age à la Renaissance, Editions d’Art Monelle Hayot (Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, 1988); Thirion, Jacques, Le Mobilier du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance en France (Editions Faton, Dijon, 1998) Uses Owing to its diminutive size, the cabinet is an ideal occasional piece in a living room, dining room, foyer, or at the top of a staircase.