Description
With its perfectly structured, balanced and harmonious structure, and its rich and varied ornamentation, this cabinet is a perfect illustration of the excellence of the workshops of the huchiers of south-west France.
Standing on a moulded base carved with beautiful acanthus leaves, it opens with four leaves in the front and two drawers in the middle.
The jambs and mantelpieces of both carcasses are adorned with fruit falls. The hand holding the falls on the jambs of the upper carcase illustrates the sculptor’s taste for detail and his ability to invent and stage.
The panels of the casements are carved with great virtuosity.
For the lower carcase, a mascaron resting on draperies occupies the centre of the panel. On either side are two winged chimaeras with sharp bird beaks and leafy bodies. Leafy scrolls occupy almost the entire surface.
The panels of the upper body are symmetrically arranged. Two chimaeras with leafy bodies but anthropomorphic faces are leaning against each other. A winged cherub’s head occupies the upper section.
The two drawers in the belt are separated by three consoles adorned with acanthus leaves. They are flat carved with delicate flowers and leaves.
The cabinet is crowned by an entablature divided by three winged cherubs and carved with foliage.
A large pediment rises from the top of the cabinet. In the centre, beneath an aedicula, a warrior stands ready to strike with his sword. On either side, two chimaeras with contorted bodies support the construction. Finally, two dragons stand on the acroteria supported by the pediment.
The sides are adorned with rosettes and bird pennants set in frames.
The refinement of the ornamentation, with its fine, precise design, is undoubtedly the work of a highly skilled sculptor. Inventive and meticulous, he used the surfaces of this cabinet to his advantage to create a piece of the highest quality.