Beautifully Carved Chestnut Buffet, Circa 1822, Signed joseph Bodenn

Beautifully Carved Chestnut Buffet, Circa 1822, Signed "Joseph Bodenn"

Very Good Condition, Nice Patina

H=33, L=52 1/4, D=25 1/2

The Breton cabinetmaker’s love of ornamentation was a delightfully naïve combination of the practical and the whimsical.  Motifs of birds, stylized floral vines, branches, geometrical patterns are only some examples carved by the cabinetmakers.  Most often these pieces were created in the owner’s house to their specifications and trees of walnut, chestnut or oak grown on their property, were cut for making the piece.

This buffet is made from chestnut wood and hand carved throughout.  The motifs are birds, trailing grape vines with grape clusters, chevrons, c-scrolls, cartouches, leaves and flowers and pulvinated borders with incised diagonal carvings.  Circles bordered by florets are on the interior doors’ panels.  The back has four inverted panels and the entire piece rests upon block feet.  The central dormant or post carries the maker’s name and date inside two c-scrolls, one atop the other emulating cartouches.  There are relief foliate carvings extending from either c-scroll.  This French artisan executed an exquisitely carved  buffet/cabinet.

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