Napoleonic-era Wedding Chest In Queen's Marquetry, Decorated With Bronze Ornaments

Superb Napoleon III-era wedding box, of very fine craftsmanship, featuring remarkable Queen-style marquetry combining mother-of-pearl and brass on a black background.

Thedecoration, composed of a multitude of small floral and cross-shaped motifs in mother-of-pearl and brass, is executed with great precision and covers the entire box. This particularly refined ornamentation is highlighted by rich finely chiseled gilded bronze trim: friezes of foliage, scrolls, acanthus leaves, rosettes, and elegant winged female figures forming the legs and corner ornaments.

Thelower section, with its curved and flowing lines, is particularly elegant with its blackened wood panels accented by gilded fillets and its substantial gilded bronze ornaments.

The domed lid features the same decoration and opens to reveal an interior made entirely of precious wood, of very fine quality and particularly well-preserved.

The underside of the lid is adorned with an antique mercury mirror, characteristic of pieces from this period, adding even more refinement to this box designed to hold jewelry, mementos, or small precious objects.

The combination of Queen’s marquetry, mother-of-pearl, brass, blackened wood, precious wood, gilded bronze, and a mercury mirror attests to the luxurious and highly decorative nature of this object.

A very beautiful Napoleon III wedding box, with elegant proportions, remarkable for the richness of its decoration and the quality of its materials.

Period: Napoleon III, circa 1860–1870.

In very good condition.

Dimensions: 35 cm long x 25 cm deep x 24 cm high.