Description
Sculptor or goldsmith?
Profane or sacred?
Today or yesterday?
Daniel Arnoul does not fit into traditional movements
Being a sculptor wasn’t really a part of his training. He started by studying the art of a goldsmith at l’École du Louvre, then worked with La Maison Puiforcat where he realized that he was both an artisan and an artist.
While working with the sculptor Agam, he found the dimension he had been looking for, finally he was able to create thanks to his imagination.
In 1980, he moved to Nice where he started making symbolic pieces, mostly inspired by medieval works.
So on were made portraits, reliquary boxes, fabulous animals, royal hands, jewelry and cabinets (such as this piece). Those cabinets have been produced since the Renaissance, but here, with an ornamentation inspired by the Middle Ages.
To do so, Daniel Arnoul travels around the world, looking for rare materials (silver, vermeil, copper, ivory), stones (agate, coral, crystal, lapis lazuli, garnet, amethyst, jasper, carnelian), pearls and exotic wood.
This cabinet has got all those criteria.
He is on top of four platforms decreasing. Opened from both sides, he looks like a tabernacle.
He’s trimmed with silver and vermeil sheets, worked with the “repoussé” work, that are held by steel sheets. We can see polished stones.
The four rods that hold a rock crystal ball are maintaining the cabinet together. The rods go through the four platforms into the ground. It is the main armature.
The cabinet opens from both sides, with a double opening.
The first one, is like a porthole from which we can see the inside.
The second one opens with the porthole letting appearing three drawers.
Each sheets have an opening in the center. The decor is a light wood with vermeil sheets “repoussé”, with little rocks.
This gives an impression of secrets, and sacred on top of all the work and the amazing materials.