Two-part armoire in walnut carved with soldiers and kings, 17th-19th century

Carved with a bas-relief depicting soldiers and the kings of the sea and of the land surrounded by their courts
Between the 17th and the 19th century
H. 225 cm, W. 137 cm, D. 58 cm
(Restorations and losses)

Historical context
Carved walnut armoires are among the great witnesses of European furniture between the 17th and 19th centuries. Their narrative or allegorical decoration, often inspired by religious, mythological or royal iconography, reflects the social status of those who commissioned them. Walnut, prized for its density and its ability to render detail, was the favoured wood of regional workshops in France and Northern Europe. These pieces, made over several generations, illustrate the evolution of styles from the late Baroque to the historicist influences of the 19th century.