SET OF MAHOGANY AND BRONZE FURNITURE IN THE EMPIRE STYLE
Exceptional set of Empire-style furniture in mahogany and mahogany veneer decorated with chased and gilded bronzes. It includes a large dining room table, a suite of 12 gondola-back chairs and an imposing pair of consoles with "return from Egypt" motifs.
The octagonal tabletop: features a thick belt, richly decorated with trophies of arms, Medusa masks, laurel wreaths and fantastical swan-headed animals. The top rests on six legs, four of which are console-shaped, fluted, topped by eagles with outstretched wings and standing on claw feet. The warrior décor, swan and eagle were widely used during the Empire. The whole is joined by a spacer decorated with horns of plenty, flowers and palmettes. The large tabletop with its abundantly ornate bronze belt, and the four eagles on the base, make this a majestic table.
Gondola-back chairs: The 12 gondola-back chairs are also made of mahogany and mahogany veneer. The top entablature and seat belt are decorated with Hermes heads in a lozenge and floral motifs. The carved lozenge represents one of the repetitive elements of the Directoire style, whose ornamental repertoire is highly simplified. Very elegant, the gondola-shaped backrest was a great success under the Empire: hollowed out into a half-cylinder that wraps around the shoulders, the backrest connects to the belt with a continuously sloping curve. The 12 seats are upholstered in two-tone matte and glossy beige striped fabric. The legs are saber-shaped.
The pair of consoles: The two consoles each open with two drawers in the waistband, decorated with swans and masks in medallions. They rest on two fluted front jambs, terminating in claw feet and surmounted by sphinxes supporting composite capitals. Empire-style furniture features many sphinxes in its decorations, particularly from the "Return from Egypt" period onwards. The pilaster-shaped back legs frame a panel adorned with a rhombus. The plinth base is highlighted with gilded bronze foliage. The spacer is in mahogany and the top in sea-green marble.
Created in the second half of the 19th century, this handsome set features the monumental forms and decorative motifs characteristic of the Directoire and Empire styles, which were very popular under Napoleon III. All the elements in this set are in very good condition, with remarkable quality chasing.
