Carved, Painted And Gilded Wooden Head From The Empire Period

A rare and important carved, painted, and gilded wooden head from the Empire period, likely part of a very large bed. The antique-style face is framed by a star-studded diadem and a headdress adorned with gilded arabesques on a black background. The fine execution and quality of the carving suggest that it could be the work of Jacob Desmalter, who, commissioned by Napoleon, furnished all the imperial palaces emptied by the Revolution, such as Saint-Cloud, Compiègne, Fontainebleau, Meudon, Rambouillet, and the Tuileries Palace, in close collaboration with Percier and Fontaine. Carved heads of comparable size and style adorn the bed in Napoleon's bedroom at Compiègne. Height of the head alone: 21.5 cm. Height with base: 43 cm. (Some old holes from wood-boring insects, some losses, and restorations).