Antique Pair French Empire Style Bedside Cabinets 19th Century

A thoroughly delightful pair of antique French ormolu mounted walnut and parquetry bedside cabinets, circa 1880 in date.

They each feature rectangular mottled Rouge de Rance marble tops with three quarter brass galleries above oak lined drawers, cupboard doors and raised on turned and tapering reeded legs that terminate in ormolu ball feet.

Add an elegant touch to your home with these lovely bedside chests.

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 85 x Width 53 x Depth 40

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 9 inches x Width 1 foot, 9 inches x Depth 1 foot, 4 inches

Rouge de Rance

is a red marble from the town of Rance in the province of Hainaut Belgium.

The red "marble" of Rance was very popular as a prestigious building material for decorative use. Although it has been exploited since Roman Antiquity it became most renowned since the 17th century because of its prolific use in the Royal Chateau of Versailles built for the French king Louis XIV. Large quantities were used for the most prestigious parts of the building, including the interior wall decoration of the "Galerie des Glaces" and the columns of the main portico on the "Cour des Marbres". To satisfy the vast demand needed for Versailles and other French royal residences a new quarry was opened and subsequently named "Trou de Versailles"

Since the 18th century "Rouge de Rance" was also very popular as a material for fireplaces and clocks, and as a top for furniture such as commodes.

The exploitation of the quarries in Rance stopped in the 1950s. A museum on Belgian Marbles was opened in Rance in 1979.

Parquetry - is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquetry patterns are entirely geometrical and angularsquares, triangles, lozenges.

The word derives from the Old French parchet , literally meaning "a small enclosed space". Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684 as parquet de menuiserie to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.

Such parquets en lozange were noted by the Swedish architect Daniel Cronstrm at Versailles and at the Grand Trianon in 1693. Timber contrasting in color and grain, such as oak, walnut, cherry, lime, pine, maple etc. are sometimes employed; and in the more expensive kinds the richly coloured mahogany and sometimes other tropical hardwoods are also used.

Our reference: A2390

Internal Ref:

A2390

Date of manufacture : 19th Century