French Louis XVI Revival Painted & Parcel-Gilt Wall-Mounted Console With Disappearing Secret Drawer, Late 19th Century

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A distinctive French Louis XVI Revival console table, dating to the late 19th century, executed in an elegant ivory-painted and … Read more A distinctive French Louis XVI Revival console table, dating to the late 19th century, executed in an elegant ivory-painted and parcel-gilt finish. The rectangular faux-marble painted wood top is surrounded by molded gilt edging and exhibits an appealing aged craquelure surface.
The richly ornamented frieze is decorated with carved and parcel-gilt Neoclassical motifs, including scrolling foliage, rosettes, guilloche ornament, and beaded detailing. The console is raised on four slender tapering fluted legs embellished with gilt accents and carved ornamental collars.
An exceptional feature is the disappearing secret drawer concealed beneath the frieze. The drawer pulls forward for access and can then be pushed upward and completely recessed behind the decorative frieze, leaving the front of the console visually uninterrupted. This unusual mechanism adds both historical character and functional intrigue.
The legs are joined by an elaborately carved bowed stretcher centered by a dramatic gilt shell motif, reinforcing the table's Louis XVI Neoclassical vocabulary. The aged painted and gilt surface displays natural craquelure, wear, and losses consistent with age, while later structural reinforcement is present to the underside. See less