18th Century Walnut Vaisselier, Alsace-Lorraine, France

Hand-carved circa 1780, this walnut buffet deux corps has motifs associated with both the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods, making it a beautiful transitional case piece. The warm brow...

Dating to the period of Louis XV (circa 1750), this large and elegant walnut buffet de chateau was hand-carved in the Southern French town of Nimes. Woodworkers in Nimes adhered to t...

Walnut and burled walnut. In 1700s France, the commode was considered the finest piece of furniture in the chateau. It was also placed in the most important areas so it could be seen. This particular commode from Bourgogne or Vallee du Rhone area, is very rare in its shape and storage area. The shaped sides are small cabinets with one shaped shelf each. Each door opens to the back so that the contents are kept private from any guests. The 'galbee' front features three full drawers with brass hardware. The veneered wooden insets on the drawers and sides are all burled walnut wood. All this rests upon four outward shaped feet. There are three keys for opening the side cabinets and front drawers. This rare and large French commode...

This grand and distinctive piece of furniture from Northern Brittany is known as a “buffet malouin” and was created in the late 17th century. These types of cabinets were created for important homes in the historic port city of Saint-Malo. The design, with large octagonal molded panels, double colonettes, and finely cut brass fittings, is unique to other French furniture of the period. The design was directly influenced by the Dutch mariner carpenters living in Saint-Malo at the time (the Dutch beeldenkast cabinet shows similarities) The large four-door cabinet was carved in oak, as was most of the other “malouin” furniture pieces. It is an imposing and impressive piece, standing over 7 feet tall and nearly 7 feet wide. The front of the piece has twisted, double colonettes, multi-profiled cushion-shaped octagonal panels, and finely cut brass key hole escutcheons, drawer pulls, and lozenge plates. There are 3 drawers, 2 of which are full sized, with a smaller drawer in the center. 3 large bun feet along the front hold up the entire piece, while 2 block feet support the rear. Each door has its own functioning key and lock, with a yet another key for the center drawer. Door and drawer panels are solid and impressive old pieces of oak, which still open and close with ease, indicating the quality of construction and great care that this piece has received over the centuries. The “meuble malouin” in the form of a large 4 door buffet is not often easily found. Research shows photos of several models in various states that have come to surface, but they were not nearly pervasive as French case...