Side table - Wood, Bronze

Louis XV-style 'vide-poche' table
France, Napoleonic III Era (19th century)

Refined French table of fine cabinetmaking, made during the Napoleonic III period and inspired by the masterpieces of the renowned master Jean-Henri Riesener. The oval, elegant and slender structure is embellished with a superb floral marquetry that decorates the main top and the lower shelf, deftly weaving precious woods such as rosewood, palisander, and maple.
The upper top is surrounded by an elegant pierced gallery in gilded bronze, while the front fascia hosts a discreet drawer, enriched by handles and a bronze escutcheon finely chased. The sinuous, flowing legs, typical of the Louis XV taste and joined by a harmonious oval crosspiece, confer absolute balance and visual lightness to the whole.
Fruit of refined nineteenth-century eclecticism — able to fuse the sinuous lines of Rococo with the decorative rigor of Neoclassicism — this work represents a perfect example of French artisanal virtuosity, ideal for enriching prestigious interiors or for enhancing a refined antique collection.