19th Century French Provincial Buffet Deux Corps

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A piece like this doesn't just fill a wall, it commands the room. This French provincial buffet deux corps rises … Read more A piece like this doesn't just fill a wall, it commands the room. This French provincial buffet deux corps rises in two stacked sections, a domed, scrolled pediment crowning a carved floral cartouche, opening onto raised panel doors below carved with the same rocaille detail worked into each upper corner. Deux corps cabinets built this way, meant to be broken into two for moving between country houses, come out of the provincial French tradition that runs through Louis XV design. We found this one stripped and bleached back to bare wood, worn to a soft honey tone that only decades of handling and refinishing can produce, no stain standing between you and the grain. Look closely at the pediment carving and the acanthus tucked into the door spandrels, hand-cut, not a repeated mold. The cabriole legs and scalloped apron give the whole piece a lightness its scale doesn't suggest. Inside, three deep shelves are ready for china, linens, or whatever collection deserves better than a closet. Set it in a dining room or entry where its full eight-foot height has room to breathe, and let the carving catch the afternoon light.

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