Antique French Walnut and Kingwood Porcelain Mounted Cabinet, 19th Century

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Antique French Walnut and Kingwood Porcelain Mounted Cabinet, 19th Century

About the Item

A stunning 19th century French kingwood and walnut, ormolu and Sevres porcelain mounted breakfront display cabinet. cabinet C1880 in date. This stunning antique French side cabinet is a true rarity and has been accomplished in exotic Kingwood, and walnut with Sevres porcelain mounts. The central arched top is set above an arched glazed door which is flanked by two further glazed doors, all framed in decorative Bleu Celeste Sevres porcelain plaques and opening to a shelved interior. The lower section with three oak lined frieze drawers over moulded panel doors centred by further Sevres porcelain oval mounts and raised on elegant short cabriole legs. The panels, mounts and drawers all have decorative gilt ormolu borders. This superb breakfront cabinet can be used as a display cabinet or a bookcase and is complete with the original working locks and keys. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 188 x width 142 x depth 58 Dimensions in inches: Height 74.0 x width 55.9 x depth 22.8 Sevres Porcelain traces its roots in France to early craftsmen who had small manufacturing operations in such places as Lille, Rouen. St. Cloud, and most notably Chantilly. It is from Chantilly that a cadre of workers migrated to the Chateau de Vincennes near Paris to form a larger porcelain manufactory in 1738. French King Louis XV, perhaps inspired by his rumoured relationship with mistress Madame de Pompadour, took an intense interest in porcelain and moved the operation in 1756 to even larger quarters in the Paris suburb of Sevres. Sevres was also conveniently near the home of Madame de Pompadour and the King's own Palace at Versailles. From the outset the king's clear aim was to produce Sevres Porcelain that surpassed the established Saxony works of Meissen and Dresden. Though the French lacked an ample supply of kaolin, a required ingredient for hard-paste porcelain (pate dure), their soft-paste porcelain (pate tendre) was fired at a lower temperature and was thus compatible with a wider variety of colours and glazes that in many cases were also richer and more vivid. Unglazed white Sevres Porcelain "biscuit" figurines were also a great success. However, soft-paste Sevres Porcelain was more easily broken. Therefore, early pieces of Sevres Porcelain that remain intact have become rare indeed. The Sevres Porcelain manufactory always seemed to be in dire financial straits despite the incredibly Fine works it produced. In fact, the king's insistence that only the finest items be created may have contributed to the difficulties. Only a limited number of European nobility could afford the extravagant prices demanded for such works. King Louis XV and eventually his heir, the ill-fated Louis XVI, were obliged to invest heavily in the enterprise. Ultimately, the Sevres Porcelain Factory produced items under the name of "Royal" and thus the well-known Sevres mark was born. King Louis XV even mandated laws that severely restricted other porcelain production in France so as to retain a near monopoly for his Sevres Porcelain. The king even willingly became chief salesman for the finest of his products, hosting an annual New Year's Day showing for French nobility in his private quarters at Versailles. He eagerly circulated among potential buyers, pitching the merits of ownership and policing the occasional light-fingered guest. Sevres Porcelain may have indeed given the makers of Meissen and Dresden a run for their money by the end of the 18th Century but for the French Revolution. By 1800, the Sevres Porcelain Works were practically out of business due to the economic devastation of the new French Republic. About the time when Napoleon Bonaparte named himself Emperor of France (1804), a new director was named for the Sevres Porcelain Manufactory. Alexandre Brongniart, highly educated in many fields, resurrected Sevres Porcelain. Soft-paste porcelain was eliminated altogether thanks to the earlier discovery of kaolin near Limoges. For four decades until his death, Brongniart presided over monumental progress for Sevres Porcelain, catering not only to Napoleon himself, but at last to include the more financially profitable mid-priced market in the emerging middle class. Kingwood is a Classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very Fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many Fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar colour to sapwood. The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. it turns well but due to its density and hardness can be difficult to work with hand tools. It also has a tendency to blunt the tools due to its abrasive properties.

Dimensions:
Height: 74.02 in (188 cm)Width: 55.91 in (142 cm)Depth: 22.84 in (58 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Kingwood,Ormolu,Porcelain,Walnut
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1880
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 091691stDibs: LU950612850402