Impressive in size, this oak chest comes from a fortress in Périgord. It remains a testament to its past grandeur. Its mission was, in its time, to welcome back from battles the weapons and armour of the Knight Master of the house. It is rare to be able to observe this type of castle furniture, as very few of its comrades-in-arms were produced and most have now disappeared.

Knight’s Oak Armour Chest – 15th Century – High Middle Ages – Périgord – [ME148]

15ᵗʰ century, Castle furniture, High Middle Ages, Knight Chest, Oak, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner, Trunk

AUX-ROIS-LOUIS’S TREASURES FILMING AT CHÂTEAU DE BIRON IN PÉRIGORD FOR THE SERIES ‘FORTUNE DE FRANCE’ Adapted from Robert Merle’s literary fresco, a writer native to Sarlat, the “Fortune de France” series directed by Christopher Thomson took up residence at Château de Biron, seat of one of the oldest baronies in Périgord, in spring 2023. It…

Impressively sized, this fireplace plate from the renowned foundries of Périgord showcases traditional royal heraldry, featuring a crown surrounded by fleur-de-lis and pine cones, symbolizing longevity. Cast in 1644, the inclusion of this date in its design adds to its historical appeal and authenticity.

Royal Cast Iron Fireplace Plate – 17th Century – Périgord – [ME113]

17ᵗʰ century, Cast iron, chimney plate, fireplace accessory, Périgord, Period furniture

Impressively sized, this fireplace plate from the illustrious foundries of Périgord displays traditional royal heraldry – a crown surrounded by fleur-de-lis and pine cones, symbolizing longevity. Cast in 1644, the historical significance and authenticity are highlighted by this embedded date.

Drop-leaf secretary made in Périgord in the 18th century in beautiful walnut boards. It is composed of a crossbow chest of drawers with two large drawers, surmounted by a sloping flap that opens to become a writing desk.

Walnut drop-leaf writing desk – 18th century – Périgord – [ME090]

18ᵗʰ century, Drop-leaf Writing desk, Louis XV, Périgord, Period furniture, Small furniture, Walnut, Writing desk

Walnut drop-leaf writing desk – 18th century – Périgord – [ME090] Walnut drop-leaf writing desk – 18th century – Périgord – [ME090] This drop-leaf secretary is in a way the prodigal son of an eventful chest of drawers and a secret office. The writing desk rests on two generous crossbow-shaped drawers. Notary, lawyer, banker or…

Chest of drawers in cherry wood with four drawers on its curved front, two large at the bottom and two smaller at the top placed side by side. It was made in Périgord in the 18th century in thick cherry boards and rests on two scrolled legs at the front and two straight legs at the back.

Country chest of drawers in cherry wood – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME080]

18ᵗʰ century, Cherry wood, Commode, Curved chest of drawers, Louis XV, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner

She is a bit like a beautiful country girl who would have put on her prettiest dress to go to the ball. This chest of drawers, made from generous planks of cherry wood, in Périgord in the 18th century, proudly displays the assets of Louis XV charm. Curved front and refined handles form the adornment of our young beauty.

Large walnut chest with straight lines ordered and shaped in the County of Périgord in the 18th century. This geographical origin is attested by a typically Périgord motif of an inverted V which houses the keyhole. The ironwork, lock, hinges and handles are all original.

Chest of Knight in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME081]

18ᵗʰ century, Knight Chest, Périgord, Period furniture, Trunk, Walnut

Its bird feathers link it to the Louis XIII style and its ancestors traveling chests that roamed the countryside, carrying the armor of their knights who went to war. Dating from the beginning of the 18th century, this robust walnut chest will have had the chance to live a peaceful life in the castle, in a Périgord that has finally been pacified.

Walnut bonnetière – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME082]

Walnut bonnetière – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME082]

17ᵗʰ century, Bonnetière, Louis XIV, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner, Walnut, Wardrobe

The audacious talent of the furniture carpenter who fashioned this bonnetière in Périgord in the 17th century lies in the fact that the hollow uprights, on either side of the facade, hug all the greasy moldings of the lower picture rail one by one as well as all those of the upper cornice.

On remarque, sur ce modèle de gaufrier des motifs différents sur la plaquette de gauche, ornée de cœurs en vis-à-vis, et sur celle de droite, ornée de cœurs qui semblent cette fois-ci comme ouverts. Les deux plaquettes bénéficient tout autour de ces cœurs, de décors de volutes, de petites croix et de pointillés.

Waffle mold in wrought iron – 18th century – Périgord – [MP032]

18ᵗʰ century, Cake mold, Country furniture, Kitchen furniture, Metal, Périgord, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, The treasure corner, waffle iron, Wrought iron

“The Fight Between Carnival and Lent”, painted by Brueghel the Elder, 1559 – Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail of the painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, “The Fight Between Carnival and Lent”. We see a woman holding the waffle iron over the flame. With this type of waffle iron shaped by a blacksmith from…

Small vat for the soup in cast iron – 17ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME077]

Small vat for the soup in cast iron – 17ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME077]

17ᵗʰ century, Cast iron, Cast iron vat, Metal, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner, Vat for the soup

Small vat for the soup in cast iron – 17ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME077] Straw Handle: Straw pattern resulting from mold making process. This type of vat was used to prepare soup during major harvests in important agricultural areas. Imagine up to forty people working in the fields. It is a question…

Large cast iron vat for laundry – 16ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME076]

Large cast iron vat for laundry – 16ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME076]

16ᵗʰ century, Cast iron, Cast iron vat, Metal, Objects bearing history, Périgord, Period furniture, Wash boiler

This large cast iron tub was intended to do the laundry of the entire community. It was filled with boiling water and an ash-based detergent, the very one we are rediscovering today. The drain called the “couladou” made it possible to empty it without spilling it, once the laundry was washed. We can observe two…

Sugar boiler for the Colonies – 16ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME075]

Sugar boiler for the Colonies – 16ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME075]

16ᵗʰ century, Cast iron, Cast iron vat, Metal, Objects bearing history, Périgord, Period furniture, Sugar boiler

From the Périgord Foundries, these cast iron vats are recognizable at first glance. They are rounded in shape, equipped with rod handles and without couladous (drainage in Occitan) which made it possible to stack them for transport. These boilers were indeed intended for export. They were to join by sea, on large ships, the French…

Small walnut sideboard – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME069]

Small walnut sideboard – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME069]

17ᵗʰ century, Louis XIV, Périgord, Period furniture, Sideboard, Small furniture, Walnut

Small walnut sideboard – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME069] Small walnut sideboard – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord Fashioned in the 17ᵗʰ century in beautiful walnut planks, the noble wood of the time cultivated in the illustrious walnut groves of Périgord, this sideboard immediately surprises with its completely unusual…

The crossbeams of the facade and sides, all scalloped, introduce roundness and emblematic charm to the Louis XV style.

Bourgeois jam cabinet in blond walnut – 18th century – Périgord – [ME064]

18ᵗʰ century, Buffet, Confiturier, Kitchen furniture, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Périgord, Period furniture, Small furniture, The treasure corner, Walnut

HISTORY OF THE CONFITURIER OR HOW GASTRONOMIC MORES INFLUENCE FURNITURE Bourgeois jam cabinet in blond walnut – XVIIIᵉ – Périgord – [ME064] The history of jam cabinets coincides with that of the arrival of sugar in homes. We are at the end of the 17th century and “white gold”, until then the preserve of apothecaries…

Jam cabinet in cheery – late 18th century – Périgord – [MP023]

Jam cabinet in cheery – late 18th century – Périgord – [MP023]

Buffet, Cherry wood, Confiturier, Country furniture, Kitchen furniture, Late 18ᵗʰ century, Périgord, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, Small furniture

THE FORGOTTEN FLAVORS OF OLD CONFITURIERS Jam cabinet in cheery – late 18th century – Périgord – [MP023] From the thirteenth to the nineteenth century, we preserved in honey, sugar or vinegar, all the wonders that we grew in gardens, orchards and vegetable gardens. The term “jams” (confitures) thus encompassed a wide variety of preparations…

Half-chest of drawers in cherry wood – 18th century – South West – [ME059]

Half-chest of drawers in cherry wood – 18th century – South West – [ME059]

18ᵗʰ century, Aquitaine, Cherry wood, Commode, Curved chest of drawers, Half-chest of drawers, Louis XIV, Périgord, Period furniture, Small furniture

Half-chest of drawers in cherry wood – 18th century – South West – [ME059] Half-chest of drawers in cherry wood – 18th century – South West Imagined and shaped under the reign of Louis XV, during the second half of the 18th century, this curved chest of drawers is nevertheless inspired by the previous ornamental…

Three water jugs – 19th century – Périgord – [PA055] [PA056] [PA057]

Three water jugs – 19th century – Périgord – [PA055] [PA056] [PA057]

19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Kitchen furniture, Périgord, Water jug

Three water jugs – 19th century – Périgord – [PA055] [PA056] [PA057] Three water jugs – 19th century – Périgord These three water jugs were hand-turned in the 19th century by master potters from the famous Beauronne-Douzillac workshops in the heart of Périgord. They were dedicated to the use of water and wine for table…

Two oil jugs - 19ᵗʰ century - Périgord - [PA053] [PA054]

Two oil jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [PA053] [PA054]

19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Oil jug, Périgord, The treasure corner

Two oil jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [PA053] [PA054] Two oil jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord Both from the famous pottery center of Beauregard-de-Terrasson, these two oil jugs have well-known distinctive signs. The first, on the left in the overall photo, presents a wine-colored glaze obtained thanks to manganese oxide, manganese being…

Cast iron andirons - 18th century - Périgord - [ME062]

Cast iron andirons – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME062]

17ᵗʰ century, Andirons, Cast iron, fireplace accessory, Metal, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner

Cast iron andirons – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME062] The andirons are a warm welcome to your “life after”. In the evening at the vigil, it is sweet to be able to contemplate solid andirons. While many of us are rediscovering the charm of country houses where the “pleasure fire” warms and fascinates us,…

Scalloped cornice and cimaise

Mansion clock in cherry wood – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME057]

18ᵗʰ century, Cherry wood, Clock, Late 18ᵗʰ century, Louis XV, Objects bearing history, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner

Mansion clock in cherry wood – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME057] FROM THE SUN TO THE WATCH, FROM PRAYER TO THE POINTEUSE, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CAPTURE OF TIME The millennial quest for the measurement of time will free itself from the course of the Sun and the flow of water to…

The uprights, crosspieces and door frames are molded over their entire width.

Homme debout in walnut – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord-Limousin – [ME054]

17ᵗʰ century, Homme-debout, Limousin, Louis XIV, Périgord, Period furniture, Small furniture, The treasure corner, Walnut, Wardrobe

Homme debout in walnut – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord-Limousin – [ME054] It is clear that this ‘homme debout’ has been entirely worked, so that there is no walnut plank treated flat. The uprights, crosspieces and door frames are in fact molded over the entire width. In addition, in the center of the…

Office cabinet in walnut - Louis XIII - 17th century - Périgord - [ME053]

Office cabinet in walnut – Louis XIII – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME053]

17ᵗʰ century, Castle furniture, Louis XIII, Périgord, Period furniture, Walnut, Wardrobe

Office cabinet in walnut – Louis XIII – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord For lovers of the Louis XIII style, this cabinet because of its size and its way is a pure jewel. The diamond-shaped ornamentation pattern is present everywhere. It actually appears twenty-seven times, all at the same time on the central box, on the…

Curved chest of drawers in nuanced blond walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord - [ME052]

Curved chest of drawers in nuanced blond walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME052]

18ᵗʰ century, Antics, Curved chest of drawers, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Périgord, Period furniture, Small furniture, Walnut

Curved chest of drawers in nuanced blond walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord At first glance, what illuminates this curved chest of drawers is the deeply nuanced blond walnut that was chosen to make it. Then, it presents this daring interest of being astride two worlds. That of the Louis XIV style which gives it…

Renaissance style chest in walnut - 17ᵗʰ century - Périgord - [ME051]

Renaissance style chest in walnut – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME051]

17ᵗʰ century, Périgord, Period furniture, Renaissance, The treasure corner, Trunk, Walnut

Renaissance style chest in walnut – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME051] Made in Périgord in the 17ᵗʰ century, this walnut chest uses the aesthetic codes of the Renaissance, a pivotal period between the Middle Ages and modern times. You can recognize the famous gadrooned moldings around the edge of the plateau and on the…

Shrunken two bodies sideboard in walnut - Louis XIII - Périgord - [ME050]

Shrunken two bodies sideboard in walnut – Louis XIII – Périgord – [ME050]

18ᵗʰ century, Louis XIII, Périgord, Period furniture, Sideboard, Two-body sideboard, Walnut

Shrunken two bodies sideboard in walnut – Louis XIII – Périgord Although faithful to the Louis XIII style which it expresses with authenticity, this sideboard from Périgord is narrowed, decorated and fitted out in a unique way. It bears the traces of the daring and ingenuity of the 18ᵗʰ century furniture carpenter who imagined and…

Louis XIII style oak table - 20th century - Périgord - [ME048]

Louis XIII style oak table – 20ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME048]

20ᵗʰ century, Louis XIII, Oak, Périgord, Period furniture, Table

Louis XIII style oak table – 20ᵗʰ century – Périgord This table can accommodate many guests on its large table top: 3.50 m by 1.12 m. Its base is made up of six twisted legs, linked together by an assembly of H-shaped struts, themselves decorated with Louis XIII-style torsos. This table rests on six twisted…

Louis XV style “homme-debout” in walnut - 18ᵗʰ century - Périgord - [ME043]

Louis XV style “homme-debout” in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME043]

18ᵗʰ century, Homme-debout, Kitchen furniture, Louis XV, Périgord, Period furniture, Walnut, Wardrobe

Louis XV style “homme-debout” (standing man) intended to house earthenware dishes very popular in the 18ᵗʰ century Louis XV style “homme-debout” in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord Centerpiece of the kitchens of large residences, this “homme-debout” was intended to receive and protect the earthenware crockery which, during the 18ᵗʰ century, managed to supplant pewter…

Three water jugs - 19ᵗʰ century - Périgord

Three water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [PA033] [PA034] [PA035]

19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Périgord, Provincial art, Terracotta, The treasure corner, Water jug

Three water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord These three water jugs come from the pottery center of Beauronne-Douzillac, which is easily recognized by the nature of the clay used: a white clay, loaded with kaolin. Most of the production of this renowned center has a green glaze, like the pottery in the background [PA035],…

Walnut 4-door 2-drawer sideboard – Louis XIII – Périgord

Walnut 4-door 2-drawer sideboard – Louis XIII – Périgord [ME035]

18ᵗʰ century, Buffet, Louis XIII, Périgord, Period furniture, The treasure corner

Walnut 4-door 2-drawer sideboard – Louis XIII – Périgord This buffet, made at the beginning of the 18ᵗʰ century, is distinguished by its imposing size and ornamental richness. Deep moldings highlight the uprights, doors and high and low cornices. The double row of moldings which frame the drawers accentuates the decorative power of this Louis…

Louis XIII two-tier walnut sideboard – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord

Louis XIII two-tier walnut sideboard – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME016]

17ᵗʰ century, Aquitaine, Louis XIII, Périgord, Period furniture, Sideboard, Walnut

Louis XIII two-tier walnut sideboard – 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord This two-tiered sideboard with four doors and three drawers is emblematic of the way in which furniture makers in the Périgord reinterpreted the Louis XIII style. On the door panels, with slightly truncated diamond shapes, Maltese Crosses have been carved. The austere appearance of this…

Louis XIV walnut armoire – late 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME002]

Louis XIV walnut armoire – late 17ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME002]

17ᵗʰ century, Aquitaine, Country furniture, Furnitures, Late 17ᵗʰ century, Louis XIV, Périgord, Period furniture, Provincial art, Walnut, Wardrobe, Wood species

Louis XIV walnut armoire – late 17ᵗʰ century – Perigord This coffered armoire, with drawers in the lower part, is in the Louis XIV style. The ultimate aim was to flaunt in one’s own home an ostentatious piece of furniture, reflecting the pomp and splendour of Versailles, initiated by Louis XIV, the Sun King. This…

Walnut coffer – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME010]

Walnut coffer – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [ME010]

18ᵗʰ century, Aquitaine, Furnitures, Périgord, Period furniture, Provincial art, Trunk, Types of furniture, Walnut, Wood species

Walnut coffer – 18ᵗʰ century – Périgord Made of exceptionally fine wood the sides and top have been made from the same plank ofaged walnut. The arched moulding surrounding the lock is indicative of the skill of contempory cabinet makers. The top is decorated with painted fleur de lys – symbol of nobility. Carrying handles of…