Louis XVI-style Chest Of Drawers. Eastern France, Early 19th Century.

A charming chest of drawers featuring three stacked drawers that open from the front.

Resting on four sheathed legs topped with their original small bronze feet, it features a design inspired by the Louis XVI style. The front is organized around a shallow top drawer surmounting two larger drawers, separated by exposed crossbars veneered in rosewood. Each drawer is fitted with its own bronze pull knob.

The piece is constructed on a frame combining oak and fir. The four stiles are made of oak, while fir is used for the panels, the top, and the construction of the drawers.

The entire ornamentation is based on a curly rosewood pattern arranged in an axial pattern, also known as open-book or herringbone veneer.

This decorative motif is repeated on the tabletop, the drawer fronts, the sides, and the back of the piece. Each panel is composed of rosewood veneer sheets joined in an open-book pattern. The design is highlighted by a frame consisting of a strip of sycamore combined with a black-stained wood border, with the entire piece edged in cherry wood veneer. This combination of rosewood—an imported exotic wood—and cherry wood, a timber widely used in regional furniture production in eastern France, lends the piece a particularly harmonious contrast.

The side rails are also veneered with rosewood, with the veneer sheets arranged diagonally to extend the overall pattern of the grain and ensure decorative continuity between the piece’s various panels.

The top is framed on three sides by a thin walnut molding that forms a discreet rim.

Veneered on all four sides, this piece was not necessarily intended to be placed against a wall but could stand freestanding in a living room, study, or bedroom, allowing its decoration to be appreciated from every angle.

The drawers retain their original construction. Made of fir, they are joined with dovetail joints on the front, while their backs are assembled with nails.

The piece has been cleaned and refinished.
In very good condition. A few slight signs of wear consistent with its age.

Dimensions:
- Height: 73 cm
- Width: 47 cm
- Depth: 36 cm