Estagnier, Nîmois in solid walnut 19th Century

Estagnier rocaille, Nîmoise from the 19th century Estagnier, Nîmois in solid walnut heartwood from the Rhône valley, carved, molded and waxed. In a rounded, eventful rectangular quadrilateral shape, finely sculpted with a purely rocaille decoration, as it should be in Nîmes cabinetmaking; the upper and lower crosspieces have rocailles treated with louvres, while those of the intermediate shelves are decorated with leafy shells. The recessed uprights are progressively multi-lobed depending on the depth of each shelf. Following the uses and customs of Nîmes cabinetmaking, the front masses are made up of small, sleek, fine and curved feet punctuated with chubby scrolls resting on deer hooves. A lush decoration of fine sculptures of elegant acanthus leaves, powerful rockeries, foliage interlacing as well as flowers and florets, runs across the pierced crosspieces. The whole thing is topped with a series of six turned bobeches matching those adorning the base of the upper masses and the top of the lower ones. This very specific work of the master fustiers gives our clay maker all its letters of nobility; we find there all the exuberance of the south combined with the theatrical taste of an all-Italian magnificence. Observation: it should be noted that the century-old patina of the walnut of this estagnier allows us to appreciate all the gouge strokes of the sculpture, which it highlights. Very particular work of Nîmes master fustiers from the 19th century. Dimensions: Width 78cm, Depth 34.8cm, Height 135cm. Our opinion ; this small display piece of furniture is very interesting because this very specific rocaille model has been practically forgotten and therefore very little reissued in workshops over the centuries like the panetière and the trilogies of salt boxes, cutlers and other flour mills.