Mortar and pestle in beech wood – 18th century – South-West

Mortar and pestle in beech wood – 18th century – South-West of France – [MP039]

18ᵗʰ century, Beech, Country furniture, Craft furniture, Mortar, Objects bearing history, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, South West of France, The treasure corner, Tools, Wood species

Mortar and pestle in beech wood – 18th century – South-West Mortar and pestle in beech wood – 18th century – South-West of France The pestle of this mortar is held with two hands, and the force exerted to crush chestnuts, for example, is increased by the nails planted on its end. Dimensions: Height: 67…

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…

Three copper containers of exceptional size: an enormous kettle, the matching pie dish and an equally imposing pitcher. All are in red copper and date from the 18th century, a period during which they were manufactured using the same processes in the South West of France.

Kettle, Pie Dish and Decaliter Jug in Red Copper – 18th century – South West – [MP035] [MP036] [MP037]

18ᵗʰ century, Copper, Country furniture, Kettle, Kitchen furniture, Metal, Pie dish, Pitcher, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, South West of France, The treasure corner, Ustensils

It’s a bit like Gulliver’s dinette. On our scale, a huge teapot, a generous pie dish and a colossal milk jug. In reality, these everyday objects, hammered from sheets of red copper, have known the good times of a large wine-growing family in the Médoc in the 18th century. She used it for cooking, bathing and selling wine.

Two walnut oil jugs, fuel used in the 18th century for lighting. The mélard on the left is in raw white clay on which concretions come from the interior. The mélard on the left benefited from a water-green glaze which made it waterproof. Its two handles allow it to be hung on a rope to be able to lean it and thus facilitate the flow of oil.

Mélard in White Clay and Suspended Mélard – 18th century – Cantal – [PA073] [PA074]

“Mélard” jar, 18ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Auvergne, Cantal, Terracotta

If one has a prehistoric look with these brown concretions that seem to emerge from the depths of time, the other wears, like armor, a beautiful green glaze that has pushed back all porosity. Both fulfilled in the farms of Cantal, the noble mission of saving the precious walnut oil, the only source of lighting in the 18th century. They are called mélards.

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.

Small two-piece sideboard made in the 18th century in the South West of France. It has a cornice, a picture rail and two largely molded drawers, four doors decorated with diamond points and it rests on two straight feet at the back and two onion feet at the front.

Small two-piece walnut sideboard – 18ᵗʰ century – South West France – [ME073]

18ᵗʰ century, Buffet, Louis XIII, Period furniture, Small furniture, South West of France, The treasure corner, Two-tiered buffet, Walnut

It has everything of a great, namely all the attributes of the Louis XIII style, with the advantage of being of reasonable size. This small two-piece sideboard, commissioned in the 18th century by a rich farmer from the South West, is about to do wonders in our contemporary kitchens.

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.

Winemaker's table in oak and poplar – 19ᵗʰ century – Champagne – [MP034]

Winemaker’s table in oak and poplar – 19ᵗʰ century – Champagne – [MP034]

19ᵗʰ century, Champagne, Country furniture, Oak, Poplar, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, Small furniture, Table, Winegrower’s table

Winemaker's table in oak and poplar – 19ᵗʰ century – Champagne – [MP034] Winemaker’s table in oak and poplar – 19ᵗʰ century – Champagne The assembly of varied geometric patterns, a cross set with four triangles joined together inside the circle of the top, is highlighted thanks to the choice of nuanced wood species, namely…

Louis XV mirror – gilded wood – 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME085]

Louis XV mirror – gilded wood – 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME085]

18ᵗʰ century, Giltwood, Louis XV, Mirror, Period furniture, South West of France, The treasure corner

Louis XV Mirror – Gilded Wood – 18ᵗʰ Century – South West of France Discreetly sized, this Louis XV mirror features a lovely scallop shell on its slightly curved pediment, framed by foliage and flowers. Through the gold leaf gilding of its frame, due to its age, the famous “bol d’Arménie” (bolus armenus) emerges, testimony…

Large Louis XV mirror – gilded wood – late 18ᵗʰ century – Midi-Pyrénées – [ME084]

Large Louis XV mirror – gilded wood – late 18ᵗʰ century – Midi-Pyrénées – [ME084]

Giltwood, Late 18ᵗʰ century, Louis XV, Midi-Pyrénées, Mirror, Objects bearing history, Period furniture, The treasure corner

Large Louis XV mirror – gilded wood – late 18ᵗʰ century – Midi-Pyrénées – [ME084] Large Louis XV Mirror – Gilded Wood – Late 18ᵗʰ Century – Midi-Pyrénées The imposing frontispiece of this Louis XV mirror seems to have been sculpted to the size of the generous cornucopia that flourishes in the middle. Symbol of…

Louis XV mirror – giltwood frame – late 18ᵗʰ century – South of France – [ME083]

Louis XV mirror – giltwood frame – late 18ᵗʰ century – South of France – [ME083]

Giltwood, Late 18ᵗʰ century, Louis XV, Mirror, Period furniture, Rocaille, South of France, The treasure corner

Louis XV Mirror – Giltwood Frame – Late 18ᵗʰ Century – South of France Fantasy shines in this Louis XV mirror thanks to the emergence of the Rocaille style. Its particularity, breaking with symmetry, is particularly visible in the escalation of very different acanthus leaves on either side of the summit medallion. The rinceaux inspired…

This desk table was probably the prerogative of a high dignitary of the Customs corps, in charge of a flourishing trading post located on the banks of the Olt, the former name of the Lot.

Desk table in oak and chestnut – Louis XIII – 17th century – Quercy – [ME074]

17ᵗʰ century, Chestnut, Desk table, Louis XIII, Oak, Objects bearing history, Period furniture, Quercy, Small furniture, Table, The treasure corner

Desk table in oak and chestnut – Louis XIII – 17th century – Quercy Given the rarity of this type of table that served as a desk, one can imagine that this piece of furniture from Quercy experienced the heyday of river transport on the Lot during the 17th century. This desk table was probably…

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…

Cast iron fireback – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME079]

Cast iron fireback – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME079]

18ᵗʰ century, Cast iron, chimney plate, fireplace accessory, Louis XV, Metal, Period furniture, South West of France, The treasure corner

Cast iron fireback – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME079] We notice its pretty central cartouche formed of acanthus leaves surrounded by a beaded molding around which appears the date “1764” (1 and 6 inscribed in mirror) as well as a series of seven flowers. The whole being enhanced with a gadrooned…

Imperial oil jug – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA072]

Imperial oil jug – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA072]

19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Jug, Kitchen furniture, Oil jug, Provincial art, Quercy, Terracotta

Among the jewels of the salesroom gallery Aux-Rois-Louis, emerges this astonishing pottery which immediately evokes a beauty in an evening dress. She advances, as if towards an opera box, dressed in her sequined black evening dress and sporting on her throat her prettiest long necklace composed of pearls in the shape of flowers, of which…

Walnut sideboard – 18ᵗʰ century – South-West – [MP030]

Walnut sideboard – 18ᵗʰ century – South-West – [MP030]

18ᵗʰ century, Country furniture, Kitchen furniture, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, Sideboard, South West of France, The treasure corner, Two-body sideboard, Walnut

Three Louis XIII, Louis XIV and Louis XV styles brought together in a single creation This sideboard offers us a rare vision: that of the three styles Louis XIII, Louis XIV and Louis XV brought together in a single creation. The sliding drawers adorned with diamonds are in the Louis XIII style The moldings that…

Louis XIII credenza in walnut – 17ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME071]

Louis XIII credenza in walnut – 17ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME071]

17ᵗʰ century, Credenzia, Louis XIII, Period furniture, South West of France, The treasure corner, Walnut

Louis XIII credenza in walnut – 17ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME071] For those who love the austere charm of the castles of the Kngdom of France in the pure Louis XIII style, before the influence of the Italian Renaissance intervened, this credenza is a centerpiece. It give evidence to a precise temporal parenthesis, that…

Oak wedding chest – 18th century – Auvergne – [MP028]

Oak wedding chest – 18th century – Auvergne – [MP028]

18ᵗʰ century, Auvergne, Country furniture, Oak, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, The treasure corner, Trunk, Wedding trunk

Oak wedding chest – 18th century – Auvergne – [MP028] Flowers, passion, a dowry and its sheath Here is how this piece of furniture appeared in Auvergne in the 18th century. Prelude to the wedding, the engagement makes it possible to organize as it should, the imminent arrival of the bride in the family of…

Salt chest armchair – chestnut - cherry - poplar – 19th century – Quercy – [MP029]

Salt chest armchair – chestnut – cherry – poplar – 19th century – Quercy – [MP029]

19ᵗʰ century, Armchair, Castle furniture, Cherry wood, Chest armchair, Chestnut, Country furniture, fireplace accessory, Objects bearing history, Poplar, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, Quercy, Small furniture

Salt chest armchair – chestnut – cherry – poplar – 19th century – Quercy – [MP029] The salt chest armchair Patriarch’s Throne, King of Cantou If there is one thing that lords and farmers had in common from the Middle Ages until the 19th century, it was the use of the fireplace, the only means…

This cradle bears witness to a salutary change in the relationship between humans and their little babies.

Rocking cradle in cherrywood – Louis-Philippe – 19ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME072]

19ᵗʰ century, Bed, Cherry wood, Cradle, Louis-Philippe, Period furniture, Small furniture, South West of France, The treasure corner

B like Bassinet, Emblem of BLM, Baby Liberation Movement If the BLM – Baby Liberation Movement – existed, the rocking cradle would be its flagship. It is indeed thanks to this small private bed that the babies were able to leave their panoply of mummy tightly wrapped in bandages and the already too crowded family…

Terracotta ham pot – 19th century – Charente – [PA067]

Terracotta Jambonnière – 19th century – Charente – [PA067]

19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Charentais, Jambonnière, Kitchen furniture, Terracotta

Terracotta ham pot – 19th century – Charente – [PA067] THE FLOWER BOX FOR FLOWERS THE KITCHEN STOVE FOR FOOD THE JAMBONNIERE FOR… HAMS! Let’s rediscover a made-to-measure utensil born of peasant common sense and the talent of the potters of Sainte-Eutrope. To make a success of your homemade raw ham, it’s both simple and…

Folk art chestnut chest – 18th century – Béarn – [MP027]

Folk art chestnut chest – 18ᵗʰ century – Béarn – [MP027]

18ᵗʰ century, Béarnais, Chestnut, Country furniture, Popular art furniture, Provincial art, Trunk, Wedding trunk

Folk art chestnut chest – 18th century – Béarn – [MP027] Folk art chestnut chest – 18th century – Béarn The secret code to enter the spiritual universe of this chest overloaded with messages is undoubtedly the number 6. Keep it in mind to sharpen your gaze. Around the Latin Cross located under the keyhole,…

Three terracotta melards – orange, green and yellow – 19th century – Puy-de-Dôme – [PA064 PA065 PA066]

Three terracotta melards – orange, green and yellow – 19th century – Puy-de-Dôme – [PA064 PA065 PA066]

“Mélard” jar, 19ᵗʰ century, Antique pottery, Confit pots, Puy de Dôme, Terracotta, The treasure corner

PUY-DE-DÔME: LAND OF POTTERY AND VOLCANOES SINCE THE NIGHT OF TIMES It is on the ground of a thousand-year-old tradition that these three beautiful melards of varying proportions and colors were created. It should indeed be remembered that in the center of Auvergne, at the beginning of the Christian era, the black earths of the…

Sideboard chest – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West France - [ME070]

Sideboard chest in oak – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West France – [ME070]

18ᵗʰ century, Louis XV, Oak, Period furniture, Sideboard, Sideboard chest, Small furniture, South West of France

Sideboard chest – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West France – [ME070] Sideboard chest in oak – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West France Astonishing trompe-l’oeil fantasy on this little sideboard which seems to have two drawers even though it opens on the top like a chest. Another daring mix of…