16th Century German Cabinet with a Floral and Architectural Decoration

Very attractive, rare and large Gothic cabinet / sideboard with three drawers over two doors, constructed in three parts. beautiful Gothic tracery work,...

On the left post of the lower body, is written the date 1596 in a cartouche This cabinet has two bodies. The upper part, set back, is moulded and carved. At the bottom, the cabine...

Former collection Altounian At the beginning of the reign of Henri II (1547-1559) the furniture’s ornamentation evolves. The few medieval motifs that were still used are eventually relinquished. Furniture becomes more sober showcasing moulded panels and perfect architecture. Cabinet-makers use ornaments such as curved fluted or plain columns, feather quills, roses or winged putti heads. High-relief carving becomes more scarce and compositions lighter. To that end cabinet-makers draw inspiration from Fontainebleau motifs filtering them and adapting them to French taste. During this period cabinet-makers turn into a kind of architects. Indeed the architectural balance of furniture is the centre of their concerns. The study of Antic formulas is then a necessity. From this care given to proportions appear refined cabinets with pure lines. This style is characteristic of the reign of Henri II and disappears soon after under the regency of Catherine de Medici (1560-1574) when an abundance of high and low-relief ornaments comes back on furnitures. This two-bodies cabinet...

Rare carved Renaissance cabinet Period : 2nd half 16th century, ca. 1570 Origin : France, Burgundy or Languedoc This cabinet embody the produ...