Object Description
Second Empire period gilt bronze and kingwood display cabinet
French, c. 1860
Height 218cm, width 128cm, depth 42cm
This fine display cabinet, dating from the Napoleon III period, is luxuriously crafted from kingwood mounted with gilt bronze. The cabinet is of two sections: an upper section with twin glazed doors, and a lower section with twin unglazed doors. The upper section features two doors, each with two panes of glass contained within a shaped kingwood window, the doors above two drawers and a writing slide. The wood throughout is superbly veneered, displaying the warm character of kingwood, while the extensive gilt bronze mounts are fine demonstrations of the Neoclassical style.
The cabinet features a finishing label that reads ‘Custom finishing done by / N. Villacres Co. / 2418 18th St., N.W. Washington’.