Two Piece Mercantile Cabinet

Exceptional pair of mirrored single door cabinets. Beveled, antiqued mirror covers piece, with silver leaf wood trim. By William Lyons Design Craft of NYC, 1975

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...

A fabulous early 19th century American shop cabinet with upper glass doors and a pronounced canopy bonnet. This unique antique display and storage cabinet, standing approximately 8.5...

An antique step-back cupboard offers Austrian pine construction with upper hutch having pierced crest over double glass door cabinet surmounting lower cab...