Pair of Royal German Oak Console Tables for Prince-Abbot of Fulda, Circa 1745

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It is extraordinarily rare for furnishings of Royal provenance to come to market. We are pleased to present a fantastic … Read more It is extraordinarily rare for furnishings of Royal provenance to come to market. We are pleased to present a fantastic pair of console tables commissioned for Amand von Buseck, Prince-Abbot of Fulda, circa 1745.

After Von Buseck became the Prince-Abbot of the Imperial Abbey of Fulda in 1737, he began expanding his residences and summer palace at Fasanerie Castle (built in 1710). Thanks to information kindly provided by Museum Schloss Fasanerie, it can be determined that these were executed by a special group of carpenters and wood workers who worked exclusively for the Royal court. In the catalog, “Möbel der Mächtigen” (published in 2019), we see various other console tables which were made for the Prince. There are several magnificent examples, some of which are polychrome and gilded, yet conforming to the same overall shape, with family coat of arms.

Console Tables of this same form were first created in France, around 1715. Seeing that princes from all over Europe looked to France for their inspiration, these consoles were no exception. They exhibit the hallmarks of the French Regence, combined with elements of early Rococo which helps cement their estimated creation date of 1745. Von Buseck, who was a skilled artist, was very interested in architecture and supplied the drawings for most of the projects he oversaw. These regal console tables would have been brought in for the newly renovated castle.

Master-level carvings, mostly foliate, adorn the highly worked oak bases, but the true highlight is the coat of arms in the center of the front apron on each console. Von Buseck’s coat of arms has been meticulously replicated (see photos of detailed media), with a round and quartered shield over a leafy console. A sword has been placed behind the shield, functioning as an unseen sinister bend. Two of the fields are emblazoned with crosses of the Fulda Abbey (signifying purity and victory), as coat of arms for high-ranking priests often indicated which church they led. The opposing sections depict ram heads (symbolizing spiritual leadership or authority), which designate the von Buseck lineage. A semi-foliate crown with dropped arches tops the coat of arms, an indication of the royal standing of von Buseck.

The heraldic display of each console is flanked by a pair of large leaf curls with pierced sections that extend to the top of the supple front legs. Each of the four legs has a roquillard that terminates in a foliate volute above a hoof foot. The legs are joined by a sinuous modified X-stretcher with a ballflower noix on an oval plinth. All of the fabulous carvings contain lifelike movements that enhance the curvaceous shape of the bases. One-and-a-half-inch thick shaped marbles top each of the wooden bases (the tops were added more recently). The vibrant stones have been finished with robust quarter-round moldings that are well-polished. Each marble has a wonderful gradient pattern of gray and red, mixed with striations of brown and white. Our rare pair of Regence console tables would make wonderful additions to any house, as the expressive and important pieces offer a touch of history.

Born in 1685 in Eppelborn, Germany, at the age of 10, von Buseck moved to Fulda to live with his great-uncle, the Benedictine monk, Bonifatius. The younger von Buseck would later become a high-ranking member of the clergy, appointed as the Prince Bishop in 1752.

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