Antique French Louis XV Style Painted Walnut Buffet circa 1900

This beautiful antique French Louis XV style painted buffet circa 1900 has a unique arrangement of open and closed display and storage. During the Louis XV period in the eighteenth century there was an emphasis on showcasing elements of the natural world. Flowers, leaves, vines, shells are all motifs incorporated into the flow of decoration but what sets better pieces of furniture apart from lesser quality items is the combination of placement and how well the carvings are configured. This antique French buffet has a pair of cabinet doors along with a pair of drawers flanking the central open display space. Please take a look at the beautifully detailed carving, especially the upper section of each cabinet door as well as the lavish display seen on the apron between the two front legs. The artisan who created this Louis XV style French buffet knew exactly how to scale the proportion of the different motifs to make a pleasing arrangement. Even the front legs are embellished with carved details that lead to a foot with the pattern known as "coquille" because of its resemblance to a shell. The central open display section of this painted French buffet has a shelf to increase its available space and the entire opening has a lovely moulded edge that is curvilinear in form and relates visually to the curves used elsewhere in the decoration. The refreshed painted finish is of exceptional quality as seen by the almost magical manner in which the colours highlight the various decorative motifs. The subtle contrasts in the surface are brought to life through both the carving and the paint together. All of the steel hardware (hinges, knobs and the escutcheon lock covers) is original and become part of the overall experience of the buffet because they are painted as well. When then cabinet doors are open each of the storage spaces also have a shelf to effectively double the available space. This painted buffet was meant to be seen from the sides as well as the front so the sides feature a curved and recessed panel, a curved apron and a finished back foot.