Antique Liégeoise Country French Louis XIV Marble Top Buffet in Stripped Oak

Details

Description

A magnificent Liégeoise Louis XIV style buffet in solid oak, a showcase of master craftsmanship still crowned with its original … Read more A magnificent Liégeoise Louis XIV style buffet in solid oak, a showcase of master craftsmanship still crowned with its original rouge marble top. The carving has a beautiful patina, and the stripped finish gives every shell, scroll and garland soft depth and a light, natural warmth. Its pale oak and rich rouge marble look equally at home in traditional and modern interiors.
The craftsmanship is extraordinary. Each of the three doors has a scallop shell framed by acanthus leaves, flowing into interlaced ribbons and garlands of blossoms. Lattice carving fills the corners of the fielded panels. The breakfront form is set with three drawers above three doors, and the rounded corner stiles carry their own scrolled foliate carving. Shell cartouches and flowers trim the scalloped aprons below. The original escutcheons are still in place, and the thick rouge marble, veined in white, follows every curve of the breakfront.
Liège was renowned for the finest carving in the Low Countries, and its cabinetmakers loved the Louis XIV style for its balance of classic architecture, stately symmetry and lively, graceful ornament. Their work shows a carver's hand in every shell and ribbon, and stripping the oak only makes that artistry easier to see.
Circa early 1900s
Measures 42H x 52W x 21D
This piece is available at Inessa Stewart’s Antiques, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. See less