The warm patina and intricate carvings are captivating elements of this antique French Hunt buffet. Such sideboards were very popular in the second part of the 19th century and over a hundred years later, demand is strong with many designers desiring to bring focus to this wonderful style, and at the same time giving a room a rustic yet refined soul with a certain identity.
This particular antique hunt buffet boasts three bold acanthus rosettes on the drawer tier, which appear above carved corbels and bounty-of-the-earth fruit motifs, called della Robbia by the Italians, and lead the eye to the door panels gloriously carved with the spoils of the hunt. The drawers have been carved with intertwined vines which create the drawer pulls and continue around the sides. Even the side panels are framed, raised, and carved with intaglio foliates, with a full relief carving on the upper side panel boasting a heraldic crest and foliates. Intricate molding throughout provides the proper framework, especially the demilune around the top edge.
In past centuries the style of the hunt reflected one of the favorite pastimes of society and celebrated this look indoors with skillful design and craftsmanship. When you study the detail of exquisitely made pieces such as this buffet, you come to appreciate such fine woodcarving. As we restore these amazing pieces and bring them back to their original glory, we have the opportunity to examine this refinement close at hand.
