17th Century French Period Louis XIII/Louis XIV Transitional Enfilade Buffet

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17th Century French Period Louis XIII/Louis XIV Transitional Enfilade Buffet

About the Item

Receive our new selections direct from 1stdibs by email each week. Please click "Follow Dealer" below to see them first! Rare 17th century transitional enfilade handcrafted of solid oak with large brass nailhead trim by talented artisans near Mont Saint-Michel, an island commune in Normandy, during the early years of the reign of Louis XIV. The term "transitional" is used to describe furniture that utilizes design aspects from the end of one king's reign with elements created in the next king's reign. This is primarily seen in items that were created and made outside of Paris. While Louis XIII furniture was geometric in appearance, it was often adorned with macarons, floral pendants and various foliate motifs. In this particular buffet there is the symmetry and ornamentation of acanthus leaf motifs, animal grotesques and paw feet that developed during the reign of Louis XIV, but the putti, scallop shells and torsades hark back to earlier pieces. This very impressive and richly ornamented buffet, used in a French monastery, is notable for its excellent carving which features much religious symbolism. The rectangular top sits above three drawers with carved pulls. Four torsades or twisted columns, which represent the never-ending or beginning of God, provide a framework for the three exquisitely carved and moulded door panels. The three intricately carved owl escutcheons represent the creature who can see in the darkness, where others are blind. During medieval times, especially in the monasteries, where all day long the bird keeps to its place on the wall or in the hollow tree, it was taken as the sign of meditation, conveying inner visions of the spiritual life. Other religious motifs are the central cross, numerous carved cherubim and the paw feet the piece rests upon. The motifs are amazing in their detail.

Dimensions:
Height: 45.5 in (115.57 cm)Width: 78 in (198.12 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)
Style:
Louis XIV (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Oak
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Late 17th Century
Condition:
Seller Location:
Birmingham, AL
Reference Number:
Seller: LFALO15241stDibs: LU115625457743