Important pair of Napoleon III cabinets. France, 1860-1870

Important pair of Napoleon III cabinets. France, 1860-1870.
Ebony, fruit wood marquetry, ormolu gilded bronzes, laspislazuli and marble.
Measurements: 138 x 120 x 50 cm.

This relevant pair of French Napoleon III cabinets, made around 1860-1870, stands out for the extraordinary ornamental richness and the refined quality of its execution, fully representing the eclectic and sumptuous taste characteristic of the French Second Empire. Its front presents a composition of great theatricality and architectural richness, conceived as an authentic monumental facade in miniature, fully representative of the Napoleon III style. They show an elegant architectural structure of broken front, profusely decorated with delicate marquetry of Renaissance inspiration and plant motifs of great finesse. The central doors are enriched with important gilded bronze medallions in relief, with allegorical classical themes, framed by garlands and laurels also in finely chiseled bronze. The ensemble is completed with polychrome marble applications, gilded bronze mounts and a molded marble top, elements that evidence the influence of the French neo-Renaissance and the very high technical level reached by Parisian cabinetmaking of the time.

The exuberant superimposition of materials, textures and historicist references fully responds to the eclectic taste of the French Second Empire, where the Napoleon III style sought to reinterpret the great models of the past (Renaissance, Louis XIV or Louis XVI) with a decorative opulence and technical quality intended to impress and affirm the social prestige of their owners.

Both pieces therefore constitute a truly unique ensemble, of extraordinary historical and artistic importance, which exemplifies in an outstanding manner the maximum refinement achieved by French cabinetmaking of the Napoleon III period. The singular richness of their design, the spectacular quality of the gilded bronzes, the complexity of the marquetry and the monumentality of their composition make these pieces exceptional and unique works, conceived not only as representational furniture, but as authentic objects of prestige and demonstration of luxury. The extraordinary conservation of their decorative elements, together with their condition as a pair and the very high technical level of execution, place them among the most relevant and sophisticated examples of French furniture of the Second Empire.