Period furniture – Aux-Rois-Louis

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The emergence of period provincial furniture – a play in three acts:

The provincial furniture of the nobility

In France, the second half of the 16ᵗʰ century was profoundly marked by eight wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants, which left the country in a state of ruin. In the 17ᵗʰ century, at the instigation of Henri IV, the Kingdom of France was to recover and reach its economic and military apogee. Its cultural influence spread throughout Europe. That is why this period is now called the “Grand Siècle”. The elite were to aspire to a new way of life, comfortable, expensive and peaceful.

The nobility was to leave the mediaeval fortresses and build splendid castles with cosier living spaces and more light thanks to numerous windows. Panelling adorned the walls along with tapestries and mirrors. The storage unit, which prior to this time was nothing more than a simple chest, was replaced by a newcomer: the commode, which was indeed “practical” (the English translation of “commode”) in all its forms – “tombeau”, “arbalète” or “galbée”. The trestle table that formerly stood in the château was replaced by an imposing banqueting table surrounded by comfortable chairs, produced on a large scale and in various shapes and forms: high back armchairs, flat back “fauteuils à la reine” armchairs, wing chairs, cabriolet chairs. The tall armoire took pride of place, proud of its poly-lobed panels in relief and its “crown”, its generously moulded cornice. As you explore these noble residences you will find furniture in the kitchens and pantries and in the servants’ quarters as well as in the hunting lodges at the bottom of the parks: for example, servers, pantry tables, country sideboards, meat safes as well as the tables, armoires and hunters’ buffets with marble tops on which game was carved. One of the favourite types of wood at that time was walnut, a wood species highly prized by the furniture-maker craftsmen, both for its delicate fibre and its various shades.

A fine example of the provincial furniture of the nobility

Louis XIII wardrobe – 17ᵗʰ century – Limousin

This linen cupboard from Limousin is typical of the first provincial furniture to make its way into aristocratic homes at the start of the 17ᵗʰ century. Before that, they put their clothes and linen in chests. This is a functional piece of furniture with just one audacious artistic feature: the moulding on the panels, designed to catch the light. During the same period, the armoire, the table and a few chairs came and brightened up the insides of the aristocratic residences and the stately homes of the wealthy landowners in the Provinces of France.

Furniture presented as example. Please contact David on 06 78 92 61 98 if you would like him to offer you similar pieces.

The provincial furniture of the bourgeoisie

All those who contributed to the sudden growth of trade and industry in the 17th century began to form a new social class, the bourgeoisie. Maritime factories were established in the large port cities of France. To build and fill their caravels, these factories needed goods from inland regions: wood, hemp, textiles, knives, firearms, wines, spirits, wheat, flour, etc. In next to no time, the floodgates opened, great amounts of wealth were accumulated and elegant manors and chateaux were built. In the 18ᵗʰ century, le Sieur Jean de Bouilhac, Louis XV’s doctor, ordered the construction of the Hôtel de Bouilhac in Montignac, the town where the Aux-Rois-Louis salesroom gallery is situated today. This hotel particulier is listed by the French Historic Monument Society.
The bourgeoisie’s strong aspiration to accede to the social status of the nobility continued all through the 17ᵗʰ century. To achieve this end, they embellished their homes with new living spaces, rivalling in terms of comfort and cosiness. They created entrance halls, living rooms, boudoirs, smoking rooms, studies, all of which called for new furniture. It was at this time that they invented the sofa, the confidante, the “duchesse” lounge chair, the “duchesse brisée”, the stool as well as a large number of chairs including the fireside chair which the smokers turned round to have their backs to the fireplace. In their studies they installed writing tables, derived from flat top desks, reading desks and slant top desks, often designed like a trompe l’oeil theatre décor behind which was hidden a set of drawers and a secret compartment, sometimes used for hiding love letters or “inheritance powder”, the name they gave to the poison they put inside rings and sprinkled into glasses at receptions in order to eliminate certain heirs.

A fine example of the provincial furniture of the bourgeoisie

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 type of furniture crowned the social and economic success of a bourgeoisie that had made a fortune and wanted to show off. Heavy sideboards, big banqueting tables, dressers for displaying copper ware, pewter ware and pottery and two-tiered buffets in the servants’ quarters for arranging all the kitchen utensils.

Furniture presented as example. Please contact David on 06 78 92 61 98 if you would like him to offer you similar pieces.

Below you can see a few samples from our vast collection of period furniture. Please do not hesitate to consult us.

Two Twisted Walnut Columns – 18th Century – Midi-Pyrénées – [ME105]

Here are two impressive twisted walnut columns from the 18th century. Initially, they adorned the base of the monumental staircase in a public building located in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Now, they are prepared to enhance the charm of a film set or a private residence.

‘Le saut de l’Ange’ – Oil on canvas – 18th century – Italy – [ME102]

Vertigo of love or temptation of the void, this beautiful oil painting in baroque style allegorically associates these two interpretations of the ‘The Angel’s Leap’, which, in either case, is not innocent.

Louis XIII Manor Table in Oak – 17th century – Corrèze – [ME091]

On the four legs of this beautiful dining room table, one can see wood turning reminiscent of the beginnings of the Louis XIII style. The central base of the crosspiece is reinforced by a support called “the fifth leg.”

Louis XIII style walnut reception table – 19th century – Périgord – [ME092]

Walnut Reception Table in Louis XIII style – 19th century – Périgord – [ME092]

What illuminates this large elegant table is its warm and clear patina, your honey, which warms both its 2 m long top and its entire base.

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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

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

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 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 fecundity and fertility, it is highlighted by a checkered background of diamonds, all punctuated in…

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

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]

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…

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

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 of feeding them copiously twice a day. This large pot was placed on a masonry hearth established in a rustic kitchen. All these brave peasants came…

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 molding. Reference: [ME079]. Dimensions: width: 62 cm, height: 74 cm, thickness 3 cm.…

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 of the sedentarization of the knights who will begin to provide in…

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]

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…

Walnut storage cabinet – 18ᵗʰ century – France – [ME066]

Walnut storage cabinet – 18ᵗʰ century – France You have before you the ancestor of the diplomatic bag … It is in fact in this kind of cabinet with drawers that the high dignitaries of the 16ᵗʰ and 17ᵗʰ centuries took their precious documents, cards, titles, treaties and coins of exchange, when they set out…

Walnut sideboard with scallop shell – Louis XV – 18th century – Lot Valley – [ME067]

Walnut sideboard with scallop shell – Louis XV – 18th century – Lot Valley What jumps out at first glance, when looking at this sideboard, are the medallions of the two doors worked in projecting molding. Patterns of points, windings and curved lines describe around these medallions a skilfully convoluted rim. The lower of the…

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]

HISTORY OF THE CONFITURIER OR HOW GASTRONOMIC MORES INFLUENCE FURNITURE 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 who sell it at gold prices in their pharmacies, finally arrives at…

Note the curve of the facade married by the drawers and the rear legs themselves, punctuated by a curve in tune.

Walnut jumping chest of drawers – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – Loire region – [ME060]

Walnut jumping chest of drawers – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – Loire region – [ME060] This small curved chest of drawers, as if ready to pounce on its raised legs, is, for this reason, called a “jumping chest of drawers”. At the same time, its humped feet seem to give it a form of…

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

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

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,…

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

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…

One takes the measure of the perfection of the layout when one observes by side the curve and the molding of the amounts.

Tomb-like commode in cherry wood – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME055]

Tomb-like commode in cherry wood – Louis XV – 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME055] To observe attentively the movements which animate this Louis XV chest of drawers, it is to take the measure of the feats accomplished in the 18ᵗʰ century by the cabinetmaker who was the author. It comes out of the…

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

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

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…

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

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…

Mazarin desk in walnut – Louis XIV – South West – [ME049]

Mazarin desk in walnut – Louis XIV – South West – [ME049] This Mazarin Louis XIV desk has a refined base, composed of eight legs rolled up in volutes, resting on clogs. By opening the side doors, we discover six drawers themselves compartmentalized in lockers. The central door opens on shelves.

Louis XVI walnut chest of drawers – Late 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME045]

Louis XVI walnut chest of drawers – Late 18ᵗʰ century – South West – [ME045] This Louis XVI walnut chest of drawers, from the South West of France, excels by its sobriety. Its neoclassical style is reflected by grooves on the uprights, “sheath” feet and the molded projection on the front which creates relief.

Cherry wood sideboard – Louis XV Regency – 18ᵗʰ century – Aveyron – [ME047]

Cherry wood sideboard – Louis XV Regency – 18ᵗʰ century – Aveyron – [ME047] We can detect a subtle variation of the Regency Louis XV style combining strict fidelity and well-assumed fantasy, if we carefully observe this period buffet in cherry wood shaped at the beginning of the 18ᵗʰ century. A rich and well-organized molding…

Louis XVI walnut chest of drawers – Late 18ᵗʰ century – Sud-Ouest – [ME039]

Louis XVI walnut chest of drawers – Late 18ᵗʰ century – Sud-Ouest – [ME039] We recognize the Louis XVI style of this walnut chest of drawers thanks to the clean and slender lines of its architecture. The veneer of the top, geometric, is made obliquely from a central axis, what is called a “fern” pattern…

Pantalonnière cupboard in cherry wood – Louis XIV – 18ᵗʰ century – Gironde – [ME044]

Pantalonnière cupboard in cherry wood – Louis XIV – 18ᵗʰ century – Gironde – [ME044] Served by a remarkable cabinet making, this large cabinet is called “pantalonnière” because its basement conceals a drawer specifically devoted to the flat storage of pants. Two other drawers are housed inside, halfway up. This cabinet is based on opulent…

Mazarin desk in walnut, oak and pear – Louis XIV – 17ᵗʰ century – South-West – [ME040]

This Louis XIV desk, Mazarin style, has the particularity of having been fashioned with different types of wood. The top is in walnut, the frame is in oak, the drawers and panels are in pear wood. This cleverly thought-out assembly highlights the architecture of this “bureau de milieu”, not intended to be against a wall…

Curved chest of 4 drawers in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Rhône Valley [ME038]

Like most of the Rhône Valley furniture, this chest of drawers boasts a large volume to appear and impress on the occasion of the receptions organized by the notables and the merchants for this purpose. Hence a profusion of ostentatious decorations: falls of lambrequins on the uprights, eventful moldings delimiting four drawers, themselves set with…

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

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 XIII facade. Reference : ME035

French chest of drawers in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Rhône Valley [ME031]

French chest of drawers in walnut – 18ᵗʰ century – Rhône Valley This dresser is called “sauteuse” because of the height of its feet slightly curved. Rarissime because of its small intimist proportions, it sports at the same time very rich Regency patterns designed by Jean Bérain, an ornamentalist of the eighteenth century who was…

Firebacks – 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries

Firebacks – 16ᵗʰ, 17ᵗʰ, 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries – Périgord foundries [ME024, ME026, ME027, ME079]

Firebacks – 16ᵗʰ, 17ᵗʰ, 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries – Périgord foundries Références : ME024, ME079, ME026, ME027.

Louis XIII two-tiered walnut buffet – 17ᵗʰ century – South West France [ME023]

Louis XIII two-tiered walnut buffet – 17ᵗʰ century – South West France The unusually diminished size of the upper cabinet makes this piece particularly appealing. This buffet is a true gem, attesting to the rigorous precision of the Louis XIII style released by the audacity of the Renaissance. The doors of the top cabinet are…

Two tier Louis XV buffet in cherry wood – 18th century

Two tier Louis XV buffet in cherry wood – 18ᵗʰ century [ME004]

Decorated with moldings, decorative flowers. Inner door to store tablewear. Arched cornice.Hoof feet.

18ᵗʰ century cherrywood commode – South West of France [ME008]

Sturdily built on scroll feet with columns on the sides. Crossbow front. Dovetailed drawers with bronze handles.

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