A Rare and Impressive 17th Century Ebony Cabinet on stand

An impressive cabinet made of ebony, poplar, pear, amaranth, snakewood, satinwood, tortoiseshell, ivory, and stained bone. It is composed of two distinct parts: the upper section and the base.
The upper section is topped with a cornice and has two drawers running alongside the structure. Various sculpted figures can be observed on these drawers, mainly puttis and nymphs. Below, there are two doors, each featuring a sculpted medallion depicting mythological scenes from the Judgment of Paris.
These doors open to reveal twelve drawers surrounding two inner doors. When opened, these doors reveal a theater entirely inlaid with exotic woods, stained bone, and tortoiseshell. Mirrors are positioned on each side of the theater, expanding the space and enhancing the architectural aspect. Two paintings are located on either side: Galatea on the left and the Cyclops Polyphemus on the right, highlighted by the skillful use of mirrors.
The base of the cabinet features four drawers, whose fronts, bordered with guilloche moldings surrounding an engraving, are similar to the fronts of the interior drawers of the cabinet. Two engraved panels depicting countryside landscapes are located behind five twisted columns. Four aprons depicting chimeras with Asian influences are positioned between the columns on the front.
17th Century
Restorations carried out by Mr. Henri Collet
H. 203 x W. 170 x D. 56 cm

The Judgment of Paris:

The two sculpted medallions on the outer doors represent the Judgment of Paris. On the left door, we see Hermes presenting the apple of discord to Paris, who is seated. The young man is recognizable by his shepherd's staff. Although a Trojan prince, he is, at this point in the story, tending the flocks on Mount Ida. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is recognizable by his caduceus: two serpents entwined around a laurel or olive staff. He can also be identified by the wings on his helmet. On the right door, we observe three women who are Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and desire, is recognizable by her beauty, nudity, and Cupid, a winged child, who is to her right. Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, is recognizable by her warrior attire. Lastly, Hera is identified by her favorite animal that accompanies her: the peacock.

The episode of the Judgment of Paris is very important, as it is the event that will trigger the Trojan War. This episode follows a previous event: the apple of discord. In honor of the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the gods organized a feast in Olympus. However, the goddess Eris, goddess of discord, jealous of not being invited, decided to send a golden apple to the banquet table, on which was inscribed "for the fairest." Three goddesses fought over this apple: Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. To settle the matter and determine to whom the apple should go, Zeus decided that a human would judge, and he sent Hermes to awaken Paris, a Trojan prince, who was napping on Mount Ida. The three goddesses then appeared to Paris, each offering him a gift if he would award them the apple. Aphrodite promised him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world, Athena promised the greatest victories, and Hera sovereignty over all men. Paris chose to award the apple to Aphrodite. Helen, being the most beautiful woman in the world, was then abducted by Paris from Menelaus and taken to Troy, triggering the long Trojan War and the chaotic return of Ulysses and his companions, which would be the subjects of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Pan:

Several elements evoke the god Pan, deity of shepherds, flocks, and woods. Since the Renaissance, this god, who appears as a satyr, has been associated with lust. These representations are mainly found on the carved drawers at the top of the cabinet. We see children (or putti) playing with nymphs, a goat (left drawer), or riding a satyr (right drawer). These putti intermingle with women lasciviously reclining on the sides of the drawers (the nymphs), sometimes in very suggestive scenes such as on the right drawer where a child lifts the robe of one of these nymphs. On the doors, there are also medallions in which women are sculpted, possibly representing the five senses. One woman looks at herself in a mirror (sight), one holds a bird (touch and hearing), another carries a flower to her nose (smell), and the last holds a glass in her hand (taste). Indeed, Pan has a predilection for sensory pleasures, which these female figures might represent.

Galatea and Polyphemus:

Galatea is a marine deity loved by the cyclops Polyphemus (the famous cyclops with whom Ulysses and his companions will have an encounter during their return from Troy). However, Galatea loves Acis, the son of the god Pan. One day, while they are both embracing, Polyphemus surprises them. Mad with jealousy, he hurls a huge rock at the young shepherd and kills him. Galatea then transforms her beloved into a river. In these paintings, we see Galatea on the left and Polyphemus, ready to throw his rock, on the right. Galatea is recognizable by the large veil she holds in her hand, which is often seen in representations of the deity.

Aphrodite and Plutus:

The two mythological figures engraved on the inner doors could be Aphrodite and Plutus. Indeed, the woman on the left, depicted nude, is accompanied by Cupid, a winged child with his bow and arrows. The young man on the right door holds a sickle in his right hand and a cornucopia on the other side. Plutus, often depicted as a young man being the son of Demeter, could explain the sickle. The cornucopia is his attribute.