Maison Forest Paris Fine Louis XVI Style Marble Top Gilt-Bronze Mounted Parquetry Inlaid Satinwood Side Cabinet

This exquisite Louis XVI Style Marble Top Gilt-Bronze Mounted Parquetry Inlaid Satinwood Side Cabinet displays the highest quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. It is the work of Maison Forest, a renowned French furniture maker known for their revival of 18th century decorative arts.

The cabinet's body is constructed of satinwood, a rich yellow wood prized in the late 1700s for its smooth texture and intricate wood grain. The satinwood has been elaborately inlaid in a parquetry design with various wood veneers, creating a stunning geometric pattern across the façade. Encircling it is a Greek key patterned border of kingwood, holly, maple and purpleheart - a vibrant touch hinting at the colorism of the late 18th century.

The cabinet is raised upon squat tapered legs headed by gilt-bronze sabots ornamented with acanthus detailing. Its white marble top provides cool contrast to the warmth of the satinwood, and has a molded edge lavishly chased with egg-and-dart and bead-and-reel moldings. The same motif embellishes the conforming apron centered by a laurel bound cartouche.

Ornate gilt-bronze work abounds across the façade, with three shaped drawers having foliate mounts and a Pushkin gallery rail above centered by an intricate arabesque mount. Rococo style C-scrolls, intricate arabesques and acanthus leaves embellish the piece with sinuous movement and natural forms so integral to the Louis XVI aesthetic.

The superior workmanship, sumptuous materials and wealth of fine details make this cabinet a magnificent example of 19th century ébénisterie in the refined Louis XVI taste. Its rarity and visual splendor would make it the pièce de résistance in any fine collection of French decorative arts.

Maker: Maison Forest Ameublements, Paris
Origin: French
Date: 19th Century
Inscription: The drawer stamped Ameublements Forest Paris.
Dimension: Height 35 1/4 inches, width 39 1/2 inches, depth 17 1/2 inches.