Absolutely gorgeous antique French Napoleon III era 15 5/8" jardiniere or plant box, a beautiful marquetry inlaid piece with two-toned kingwood veneers, gilt ormolu accenting and hand painted Sevres style porcelain plaque! There are only a handful of names that ring out when speaking of fine old Napoleon III French ebanistas, box or cabinet makers: Vervelle, Tahan, Giroux, Sormani...they all bring to mind the finest of the fine and this piece is surely an exquisite representation of those works even though it bears no maker's marks. Kingwood veneers around the serpentine sides, darker finished veneers set into those book-matched inlays. Gilt ormolu side handles, ornate bands on both the top and bottom of the box, in addition to the reticulated rim of the jardiniere top! The front has a large oval porcelain medallion, Sevres style with blue bordering, raised gold enamel framing a hand painted bouquet of colorful flowers. Stunning! All in as near pristine condition as one could hope for, this one even has the inner tin liner. An exceptional decorative accent or centerpiece, a treasure....don't miss it! One of two similar pieces that we now have available, be sure to take a peek at the other while you're with us. Fabulous old French decorative pieces!
Very good condition! There is a small veneer chip missing from the bottom right side, visible in the images, and a spot or two where small sections of that base veneer have been re-glued. The rest of the piece is superb with no veneer loss or restorations. No chips or cracks to the porcelain plaque. The ormolu does have some aged patina, we just briefly went over it with polish to bring out the gilding. See pictures for measurements.
