Louis XVI Style French Walnut Briarwood Chest of Drawers with Marble Top

Sober and valuable French dresser with two large and deep drawers, the locks and the decorations are well detailed in cast bronze; very pretty, especially the ever bronze protection that is at the end of the two front legs; the entire structure is made of high-quality and robust walnut, while the front part of the drawers is made of precious elm burl with inlay frames; briar has a great aesthetic value, since, thanks to the many more and different natural grain, is very elegant and refined, an object finished in burl is a totally unique product. At the center of the cabinet is a delicate and sophisticated inlays of precious woods depicting the allegory of Music; three medieval musical instruments (a lute, a mortar and an antique curved mouth flute) are represented along with a score of flowers and vines. The plan was carried out with a shaped slab of marble excellent ”grit”; the marble chips is one of the oldest flooring materials, already used in Roman times, but the origin of this whole process is Italian: it is a technique which consolidated its peak in Venice between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century (in fact, voice specialists often call grit Venetian); It is obtained through the mixture of small fragments of marble with cement and natural oxides; the fragments may have variable volumes, up to the size of the powder, so as to give life to pasta grit, much used in 800 operations. Our plan has an extraordinary combination of colors, rare and fascinating. The dresser in the collection is a small masterpiece, a mobile discrete and original, able to create calm and peaceful atmosphere, give romance and sophistication to any décor. Executed between 1870 and 1873 in a traditional workshop near Paris, most likely in the medieval town of Provins, because it was bought by us in an antiques market in the area. The dresser is in its original condition and is very well presented, there are only minor wear due to the time (see photo). Measurements width cm.77, cm.41 depth, at 83 cm height.