Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21

17th Century French Walnut Wood Buffet Deux Corps

About the Item

This unique buffet deux corps was hand-carved from walnut wood in France during the Louis XIII period (1600’s). A buffet deux corps (literally “two body buffet”) is a two-tiered cabinet where the upper section sits on top of a wider lower section. Deux corps buffets gained popularity in various regions of France during the reign of Louis XIII. Furniture from this period was often geometrically shaped with turned columns and thick, prominent moldings. Three of the heavier types of molding were tas de sable (“sandpit”), pointe de gâteau (“cake slice”), and pointe de diamant (“diamond point”), all of which were utilized on this deux corp. Usually an ebeniste would carve one, sometimes two of these moldings, but it is rare to find a piece of furniture incorporating all three. The upper body of our deux corps has a stepped cornice, featuring an astounding 16 layers of molding. Beneath the crown is a door adorned with pointe de gateau ornamentation and a sinuous keyplate, surrounded by cavetto molding. The door, which is flanked by two turned half-columns, opens on iron hinges to reveal a full-length shelf. Both sides have raised panels with diamond point motifs and the base has several layers of molding along the front and sides. Two layers of molding grace the top of the lower body. In between is a drawer with beige velour lining and an iron pull and keyplate. The drawer is surrounded by molding and flanked by two vertically oriented tas de sable panels. Similar panels, although horizontally positioned, are seen on each of the sides. Beneath the lower tier of molding is a second door that opens to reveal another full-length shelf. Just like the upper body door, this door is flanked by two turned half-columns. There are also two vertical tas de sable panels to the inside of each column and the door is embellished with a diamond point panel, also seen on each side. The lower body is finished with a thickly molded socle on top of two bun feet in the front and a pair of block feet in the back. Our lovely walnut buffet a deux corps from 17th century France is narrower than some of the examples that were produced in later centuries, making it easier to place. It is the rare type of furniture that despite its great age, it remains in good, solid condition and can be actively used on a daily basis. Its patina is wonderful, and we have recently revived it with a fresh coat of French wax.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 88 in (223.52 cm)Width: 48.625 in (123.51 cm)Depth: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)
  • Style:
    Louis XIII (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1600s
  • Condition:
    Repaired: Old repairs and fills visible. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Wear commensurate to age and use. Old fills and repairs. Minor losses from old wood worm. Three keys included (one for each door + one for the drawer), which activate functioning locks. Light stains to the beige velour lining of the drawer.
  • Seller Location:
    Dallas, TX
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1021-191stDibs: LU906325872342

More From This Seller

View All
Early 18th Century French Oak Buffet Deux Corps from Colmar, Alsace
Located in Dallas, TX
Colmar, where this handsome buffet deux corps was crafted, is an affluent commune in the Alsace region of France, a mere 15 miles from the German border. Because of this proximity, the hand-carved oak cabinet features some elements that were inspired by German woodworkers of the early 1700’s. A robust lower body, with a thick molding along the apron, is supported by four onion feet, often found on large German case pieces...
Category

Antique Early 18th Century French Louis XIV Buffets

Materials

Iron

Painted French Buffet Deux Corps with Antique Shutter Doors
Located in Dallas, TX
Assembled by a French artisan, this painted buffet has incorporated two pairs of antique shutter doors into the deux corps (two bodies) constr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Buffets

Materials

Metal, Iron

Circa 1730 Bleached Oak Buffet Deux Corps from Laval, France
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved in Laval, France, circa 1730, this oak buffet deux corps has been bleached, allowing the motifs of the Louis XV cabinet to gain promi...
Category

Antique 1730s French Louis XV Buffets

Materials

Oak

17th Century French Renaissance Buffet with Light Parcel Paint Finish
Located in Dallas, TX
Unlike their Italian counterparts who favored painted and inlaid motifs, French ebenistes during the Renaissance utilized elaborate carvings to embellish their furniture. A fantastic...
Category

Antique 17th Century French Renaissance Buffets

Materials

Wood, Paint

Rare 17th Century Oak Enfilade with Tortoiseshell and Ebony Inlays
Located in Dallas, TX
This beautiful and rare three door enfilade buffet comes from northern Europe, most likely the Netherlands or Flanders. This type of furniture can also be called a Dresche. Along the...
Category

Antique 17th Century European Louis XIII Buffets

Materials

Tortoise Shell, Wood, Ebony, Oak

17th Century Painted Oak Homme Debout Cabinet from Southwest France
Located in Dallas, TX
A Homme debout is a two-bodied cabinet with a drawer separating the sections. This handsome Homme debout from southwest France was hand carved from oak in the 1600s. The period Louis...
Category

Antique 17th Century French Louis XIII Cabinets

Materials

Wood, Paint

You May Also Like

Antique Country French Walnut Buffet a Deux Corps
Located in Bridgeport, CT
The tall two- part cabinet with carved cornice over the top with double grille doors with fine iron mount, two shelves inside. The lower cabinet with double doors opening to one shel...
Category

Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Walnut

French 17th Century Louis XIII Walnut Buffet a Deux-Corps / Cabinet
Located in Troy, NY
French Louis XIII Buffet a Deux-Corps / cabinet of unusual narrow size, in two parts, the upper part having one paneled door opening to an interior with one shelf, the sides paneled,...
Category

Antique 17th Century French Louis XIII Cabinets

Materials

Walnut

19th Century French Provincial Buffet a Deux Corps
Located in High Point, NC
The ashen hue of the bleached oak accentuates the grandeur of this vintage buffet ‘a deux corps’ handcrafted in France circa 1850. Crowned with a molded cornice, this chest boasts de...
Category

Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Brass

19th Century French Buffet a Deux Corps or Sideboard
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French buffet à deux corps from the town of Caux in Normandy, made of solid oak with raised panels and chapeau de gendarme crown with carved details. Buffet provides a...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Country Buffets

Materials

Brass

Early 19th Century Country French Buffet a Deux Corps
Located in Dallas, TX
Early 19th Century Country French Buffet a Deux Corps was rendered from dense, old-growth oak which has been painstakingly stripped by our expert in-house staff leaving the rich pati...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Country Cabinets

Materials

Cut Steel

Regence Period Buffet deux Corps in Walnut, France c. 1720
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fine Buffet deux Corps, dating from the Regence period and French in Origin. The exterior in fine figured Walnut, with carved designs in the Rococo taste and a deep moulded cornice...
Category

Antique Early 18th Century French Régence Buffets

Materials

Walnut

Recently Viewed

View All