Rare Renaissance Cabinet with Feather quill and Fenestration Decoration

ORIGIN: FRANCE
PERIOD: EARLY 16th CENTURY

DIMENSIONS :
Height : 178 cm
Length : 145 cm
Depth : 58 cm

Walnut wood
Good state of conservation
Original keys and locks

This cabinet of great sobriety combines a perfectly architectural structure with a rich, elegant and finely executed decoration.

Composed of a single body, this cabinet rises on a moulded base and opens to four leaves. The jambs are garnished with graceful bird’s quills. On the leaves, the pennants form a frame and divide each panel in two. They are accompanied at the four corners by beautiful roses.

The narrow panels thus formed are carved with ornamentation such as dead arcades, all adorned with flamboyant fillings composed of two lancets and a network of bellows and spandrels in which small flowers are inscribed.

A frieze of dentils underlines the slightly overhanging cornice.

The sides are treated with more sobriety. They feature simply moulded panels.

The ornamentation is very uniform and the decor, governed by perfect symmetry, gives pride of place to two extremely popular motifs of the 16th century, namely bird’s quills and flamboyant fenestration.
The latter is derived from the Gothic architectural theme, which was particularly used throughout the 15th century to decorate chests, chests of drawers and cabinets.