Style Napoleon III / Ref.18720

Matthew (1815-1889) and Willem (1816-1881) HORRIX (attrib. to) Important dining room set in "Black Forest" style

This dining room set set was made in the second half of the 19th century. It is very likely that it was designed by the Horrix workshops, of the brothers Matthew and Willem HORRIX. Here the rustic style, also called in the 19th « Black Forest », expressed itself at its fully.
All the various elements that are composing this dining room set were made of beech wood richly carved imitating nature, with a nice brown patina. Thus, those furniture seems to be made of twigs, roots, vines, flowers and fruits.
Amusing details sprang out of the carving, such as snails, grasshoppers, beetles.… and different elements are in the form of plants, for instance the buffets' handles are mushrooms' shaped.

The Dining Room set is composed of:
- 2 SIDEBOARDS opening with two doors and two drawers. Topped with mercury mirrors (oxidized).
Dim.: H. 78''3/4 x L. 53''9/16 x D. 24''3/16 cm.
- 1 SERVER, trapezoidal, with Blue Turquin marble topped by a miror and a narrow shelf. It opens with two drawers and the jambs holding two shelves.
Dim.: H. 59''5/8 x L. 53''1/8 x D. 20''1/2 cm.
- 5 CURTAIN RODS, branch shaped and decorated with vine leaves, topped with a basket of grapes.
Dim.: H. 13'' x L. 69''5/16 – 77''3/16 x D. 3''15/16 cm.
- 1 round TABLE with a central quad (slightly piqued), that can be opend (extensions missing).
Dim.: H.. 30''1/2 x L. 50'' x D. 52''3/8 cm.
- 6 CHAIRS, all unique, each receiving a different carved decoration, with brown leather-upholstered.
Dim.: H. 36''1/4 x L. 18''7/8 x D. 21''11/16 cm.

Family Horrix, The Hague (around 1790)

In the mid-19th century, the brothers Matthew Sr. (1815-1889) and Willem Horrix Sr. (1816-1881) continued after their father Pieter Paulus (1767 to 1840), the family business founded in 1790/91 by Mathijs Horrix (1735-1809). Then, their own sons Matthew Jr. (1845-1923) and Willem Jr. (1848-1902) would own the workshops.
These Dutch cabinetmakers were established in The Hague, former province of "Anna Paulowna" which became "'s Gravenhage" (in Dutch) in 1766.
Their production is particularly known during the historicist period called "eclectic", in the 19th century. They are inspired by old styles of furniture, but with new fashionable adjustments.
But they also made rustic style furniture, another type of production very popular in the Northern Countries and England. These unusual objects entered the interiors of upper class houses ; especially in Germany, with Biedermeier and in Switzerland, with "Black Forest".
Their company was very successful and thanks to their good reputation, they were asked in 1883 to built the royal throne of William III of the Netherlands.