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SIDEBOARD

Creator(s): Alexandre Louis Bellangé (Attributed to) , Honoré et Cie (Manufacturer)

On view in: Dining Room


About this object

This large sideboard was made in France at the time of the Restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, a period that, stylistically speaking, continued to develop the style formulated during the First Empire. It follows an earlier tradition of inserting porcelain plaques into furniture to enliven the wood surfaces. Due to its ambitious scale and complex decorative scheme, this sideboard could have been an exhibition piece. It originally had an elaborate superstructure supported by porcelain columns, which, at a later date was substituted with a simple marble top.

On the front are three porcelain plaques representing bouquets of flowers, the one in the center round, the other two oval. They are fastened to three massive doors to cupboards with shelves. Flanking the central one are formal vertical swags of fruit and flowers with ribbons in ormolu; around each oval medallion are four diagonal scrolls in ormolu. At the top on the front are four small rectangular porcelain plaques of tavern scenes after paintings by David Teniers, the Younger, separated by three small round floral plaques and ormolu swags and rosettes. On the sides are two small oval porcelain plaques of pastoral scenes and two rectangular panels of allegorical seated figures in ormolu in low relief of a woman on left, a man with a harp on right. Below is a border in ormolu of leaves and at the bottom edge another border with rosettes. On six low lion paw feet. The top is white marble.

Object name:
SIDEBOARD
Made from:
Mahogany -- porcelain -- ormolu -- marble
Made in:
Paris, France
Date made:
1823-1824
Size:
116.8 × 264.2 cm (46 × 104 in.)

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
31.14
Class:
FURNITURE
Signature marks:
MARK Ed. Honoré & Cie [On front porcelain plaques decorated with flowers]
Credit line:
Bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973