Napoleon III Cabinet, 19th Century

Under the reign of Napoleon III, aristocratic and bourgeois tastes plunged nostalgically into the styles of the Ancien Régime, reworking them to suit the tastes of the time. Historicism is in full swing and Napoleon III furniture borrows freely from one or another of the great moments in the history of furniture to create its own character. Our support cabinet is a striking example of this. Halfway between the sideboard and the dressing table, high enough to be qualified as a « console d’appui », this piece of furniture has no equal.
A pedimented mirror, with a scalloped profile and decorated with gilded threads reminiscent of the fashion of Etruscan taste crowns the piece of furniture. All blackened wood, it matches and introduces the lower part. Rosary of pearls, acanthus leaves and windings give a very baroque vigor to this mirror in perfect condition.
Below, a white marble top, a reminder of the Louis XVI and Empire style, protects the body of the cabinet opening with two doors. High enough to lean on, the top does not prevent one from enjoying the mirror reflections.
Then there are two generously decorated doors in the style of Boulle marquetry that pay homage to the Grand Siècle style, to Berain and to Louis XIV taste. Sitting on its ball feet, this piece of furniture in blackened wood, gilded bronze and wood is in very good condition.