Ref.15800
Henri-Auguste FOURDINOIS (1830–1907) – Neo-Renaissance sideboard

This Neo-Renaissance sideboard showcases the refinement and virtuosity of the cabinetmaking skills of Henri-Auguste Fourdinois. Purveyor to a prestigious clientele, Fourdinois was regularly awarded at the Expositions Universelles. His production is renowned for the richness of its carving, the quality of its woods, and the excellence of its finishes. At the 1867 Exposition Universelle, the jury awarded the Fourdinois firm the Grand Prix in Class XIV, Luxury Furniture. Compared with the celebrated double-bodied cabinets now in the collections of the MAD and the V&A, our piece stands out for its greater sobriety, while retaining the high-relief treatment of figures characteristic of Fourdinois. This sideboard can be dated to the period 1862–1880, the peak years of the Fourdinois workshop. While the overall composition draws on the general organization inherited from Renaissance furniture, Fourdinois innovates in both the technical and aesthetic execution of the decoration, assembling various elements of the Renaissance vocabulary in a historicist taste that is highly representative of the 19th century. At the center of the lower register, four superimposed drawers are decorated with light-wood marquetry depicting Renaissance-style cartouches. On either side are consoles framing finely executed marquetry panels. The upper and lower registers are separated by a gadrooned frieze alternating with lion heads. Fourdinois displays his genius in the upper register: above three niches, a central cupboard closed by a brass grille is flanked by carved Renaissance-style surrounds housing muses executed in relief. This sculptural treatment is emblematic of Fourdinois’s work. The whole is punctuated by composite columns and surmounted by a cornice, with flame finials at the corners.

Ref.16084
Large glazed Napoléon III period cabinet with rustic décor

This large glazed cabinet from the Napoléon III period features an abundant decorative program celebrating nature tamed by man. Nearly three meters high, it elegantly combines a central section with two glazed doors—flanked by composite colonnettes—with a richly ornamented lower register. Conceived in the manner of an antique trophy, the carved decoration is composed of medallions depicting tools and motifs linked to fieldwork on the one hand (flail, billhook, scythe, sheaf of wheat, reaper’s hat) and to viticulture on the other (harvest hod, basket, and bunches of grapes). The side doors are carved with fruit, while the four drawers are adorned with lion heads set within cartouches. Crowning the whole is a masterful wood carving of striking naturalism: two doves captured in the midst of a courtship display. With its rustic decorative theme, this piece would sit naturally in a fine country house.

Ref.14258
Neo-Renaissance ceremonial cabinet, Napoléon III period, carved walnut with sea-green marble inserts

This important Neo-Renaissance cabinet in carved walnut features a sober, architectonic design enhanced by sea-green marble inserts. The upper register is fitted with seven superimposed drawers, framed by shell-headed niches. The marble inserts create a refined contrast between organic material and hardstone. The scroll cornice is broken at the center and adorned with a shell and two harpy busts. The lower section opens with two doors with moulded panels, flanked by carved pilasters. The whole bears witness to fine-quality craftsmanship in a Neo-Renaissance taste typical of the Second Empire. With its learned vocabulary and references, this piece was undoubtedly intended for bourgeois or aristocratic residences and would sit naturally in a characterful interior, a library, or a historic home.