Offered by Franck Baptiste Paris
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Pair of rectangular mirrors with double inverted profiles.
Decorated with natural foliage scrolls in marquetry of native woods including olive, walnut, boxwood.
Border decorated with a festoon frieze alternating light and dark wood. *
Core in fir.
Mercury glasses, original wrought iron fasteners.
Dauphiné, Louis XIV period circa 1680-1700.
Dimensions:
Height: 65 cm Width: 60 cm
* The border used on this pair of mirrors is a simplification of the frieze with small hands used by Thomas hache (1664-1747).
It can be found on the cornice of the infantry cabinet illustrated on page 87 and on the Mazarin desk illustrated on page 169 of the book "le Génie des Hache"; Pierre and Françoise Rouge. (editions Faton)
While an attribution to Thomas Hache seems highly possible, we must nevertheless remain cautious, this frieze from the productions of Pierre Gole having inspired several other cabinetmakers, including François Mondon as well as a whole series of followers of the workshop of the axes.
The attribution to the Dauphiné rather than to the Languedoc workshops resides essentially in the nature of a much less busy decoration and in the choice of wood offering a strong contrast.
This principle of sobriety and luminosity of alpine burls will remain the trademark of the cabinetmaking of Grenoble in the 18th century.
This type of mirror appeared in the years 1680-1690 with the prohibition of the Protestant cult and the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (Edict of Fontainebleau_1685).
We know thanks to oral tradition and some writings that the back of these mirrors were used to hide the Bible.
The exclusive use of native woods is a "Huguenot" particularity whether for furniture or mirrors.
The wood was stained black to imitate ebony, burned to obtain "shadows", reddened to imitate mahogany.... a lot of burl and burl were used and gave remarkable effects.
We find this type of production in Switzerland and Holland because many craftsmen went into exile during the persecutions.
But it is in Languedoc and Dauphiné that this production is most widespread.
