Cabinet Bellifontain attributed to Maison Ribaillier, supplier to Napoleon III
BuyRequest details

16000 € (port +200€)
Cabinets, Napoléon III, XIX

This office from the Fontainebleau school comes from a castle in the Loire Valley. Attributed to the Maison Ribaillier, whose founder repeatedly provided the Emperor Napoleon III, its typically Bellifontaine architectural structure gives pride of place to allegorical decorations and conceals dozens of secrets.

In richly carved molded walnut and green marble veined with white, this particularly original splashback has an upper body decorated with faces and characters from Roman mythology. Two pairs of loose twisted columns carved with vine branches frame niches in which two removable statuettes take place. As in the lower part, these antique figures play musical instruments, here the lyre and the lute. The leaf in the center presents a female allegory of autumn.

In the lower part are present allegorical figures in the Roman style carved in relief, faces of cherubim, lion's muzzles. The whole is animated by fluted columns with Corinthian capitals. The lower leaf is decorated with Ceres, goddess of agriculture and summer.

At the top, the broken pediment is adorned with a green marble cabochon guarded by two facing caryatids and two female telamons on the side. Finally, a pair of large, thickly sculpted figures rest on winding consoles.

This credenza has no less than 23 openings including many secret drawers. Most of the elements have been arranged in an original concealed opening objective. This is particularly the case of the leaves framed by columns in the upper part, each hiding 4 small drawers.

Provenance: Château du Val de Loire. This cabinet is attributed to Maison Ribaillier. Pierre Ribaillier, supplier to Napoleon III, cabinetmaker and antique dealer in the mid-19th century. His furniture of exceptional quality led him to participate in the Universal Exhibition of 1855. He then received the silver medal for one of his creations, which was then acquired by the Emperor Napoleon III himself. Subsequently, the Emperor placed numerous official orders with him, notably for the Château de Saint Cloud.

The furniture from Maison Ribaillier is original, renowned and of excellent quality. Ribaillier does not hesitate to use 17th century essences, wood and locks, as can be seen in the photos. This original piece of furniture is a tribute to the cabinets of the Fontainebleau school of the Renaissance. This Bellifontain art in vogue at the court of François Ier is characterized by its architectural inspiration drawn from the Italian Renaissance. The decorative effect prevails and the representation of the seasons is one of the favorite themes of the Bellifontaine school.

Height: 221 cm
Length: 107 cm
Depth: 49.5 cm