Very rare Viennese First Empire serving cabinet/credenza with liftable top, from around 1800-1810.

Very rare Viennese First Empire serving cabinet/credenza with liftable top, from around 1800-1810. It is particularly rare not only for its craftsmanship, style, and provenance but also for its excellent state of preservation and its valuable, compact dimensions. This serving cabinet is veneered in exceptionally high-quality blond walnut burl. It is ebonized in smoky black in the details and interior, using a technique typical of the period and origin. The original caryatids and feral feet are sculpted and gilded with leaf. The feral feet are also lacquered in a soft Pompeian green, fashionable at the time following archaeological discoveries that spread throughout Europe. This characteristic distinguishes the most sought-after and precious Viennese Empire furniture, usually commissioned by the high nobility. To appreciate the cabinet's quality, note how the master cabinetmaker of the time selected and cut the walnut veneers, which, unusually, naturally incorporate shades of green in perfect harmony with the foot lacquer. This rarely occurred in Europe, only in walnut trees of particular quality that grow in specific conditions and incorporate minimal amounts of chlorophyll into their trunk and branches. The dimensions are very appreciable: height 88 cm closed (with the top open to its fullest extent, the cabinet measures 137 cm in maximum height). The maximum width is 70.5 cm. The maximum depth is 56.5 cm. The lower compartment, inside, is 65 cm wide and 48 cm deep. As described, the piece is in museum-like condition of practical integrity, in original patina, masterfully French polished with shellac using a museum-standard technique. It is also perfect for a small, luxurious apartment and for inclusion in a high-end modern furnishing context. In accordance with the provisions of the New Code of Cultural Heritage, the selling company provides, simultaneously with the sale, a detailed written photographic guarantee of the originality and provenance of the works sold. The data with which the works are described and then contained in the written guarantees are expressed determinations resulting from accurate and documented technical/historical/artistic investigations, even of expert appraisal significance. Learn about the extremely rare Viennese First Empire. Read the history of this elegant and understated style and learn to appreciate timeless Viennese masterpieces. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to read our original, concise practical guide, unique in Italy.