“greek-style” Chest Of Drawers In Violet And Rosewood, Work Attributed To Lyon Around 1780.

This elegant Transition style chest of drawers is characterized by its rectilinear front with a double central projection, opening with two large drawers without a separating crosspiece, typical of "Greek-style" production. It rests on mid-height curved legs ending in gilt bronze sabots depicting lion claws enriched with acanthus leaves. The moving apron is decorated with a chiseled and gilt bronze depicting an antique vase framed with foliage and a lion's head. In plan, the chest of drawers has a beautiful architecture, a double projection on the front, front uprights in a plan cut in projection, and rear uprights also with projection. Veneers and decoration. The front and sides have large panels of violet wood arranged in quatrefoils with an open pattern, framed by rosewood and boxwood fillets forming Greek frets at the corners. The reserves are surrounded by large rosewood frames. The uprights, both front and back, are veneered with rosewood and highlighted with false rosewood fluting threaded with boxwood. A rosewood veneer marks the edge of the feet. The composition is also punctuated by false rosewood fluting surrounded by boxwood, we find this antique decoration on the 4 uprights but also on the facade on either side of the projection. Notably, the composition reverses the classic Parisian pattern: here the panels are made of dark wood (violet) framed with lighter wood (pink), a recognized particularity of Lyon cabinetmaking. Construction and manufacture. The chest of drawers is built with remarkable care: All uprights and crosspieces in oak, Side panels, back and top in fir, Drawers entirely mounted in oak, including the fronts. The drawers are assembled with fine dovetails, their bottoms slid into grooves in the sides and fronts, a technique attesting to production from the 1780s. The whole testifies to a provincial cabinetmaking of high quality, comparable to Parisian production, suggesting that the cabinetmaker had been trained in the capital before settling in the provinces. Bronzes: The gilt bronze ornamentation is of fine quality: The sabots are original, with lion claw slippers with acanthus leaves, while the other missing bronzes have been replaced by 18th century models carefully chosen for their stylistic adequacy and the quality of their chiseling, perfectly homogeneous with the whole. We find there: circular handles with rings wrapped in laurel leaves, keyholes decorated with knotted ribbons, vase lamp bases and lion mascarons. Marble: It is topped with its original gray Ardennes marble, a Belgian marble widely used in the 18th century, recognizable by its gray background enlivened by irregular white veins. Formerly restored and broached, this top now offers assured stability and durability. Locks and key The two period iron locks are preserved. An old key with a bronze head has been adapted for opening. Singular marking: The chest of drawers has a rare singularity: it is marked with two initials "IA" (or "JA"), inlaid in the veneer on the inside of the front legs, under the belt. Visible and carefully traced, these letters seem to have been affixed deliberately to be noticed. We have not yet found the authorship of these initials. State of conservation The chest of drawers is in very good condition, freshly restored according to the rules of the art. Some veneers have been reglued, a fillet restored, as well as small occasional grafts. The furniture retains a beautiful authenticity: frame, still very thick veneers, marble, period locks. The bronzes added, with the exception of the sabots, also from the 18th century, were chosen for their perfect stylistic adequacy and the difference is not at all distinguishable. The furniture has been revarnished with a buffer, revealing the depth and shine of the wood. Dimensions on marble: Height: 87 cm Width: 129 cm Depth: 58.5 cm