Corner console gilded wood with leaf - Period: 18th century

Sublime corner console in carved oak with 24-carat gold leaf, topped with a magnificent 18th century green Alpine marble.

These two magnificent crosspieces are very richly carved with acanthus leaves and are provided with a satyr for one and a baccante for the other one linked by a scalloped belt decorated with acanthus leaves and a shell in its centre.
The whole rests on two curved legs ending in a shell.
 
Period : 18th century
Dimensions : Height : 75,5cm x Width : 52cm x Depth : 61cm
Marble dimensions : Thickness : 3,5cm
 
In the 18th century, comfort, propriety and convenience became the symbols of a "French" way of living, where everything was proper, intimate and polite. 

It was this search for comfort that overturned etiquette and the way of life and led to the creation of a new type of furniture. 

Royal or private residences were the privileged receptacle.

Specialists in furniture and restoration mention a peak in popularity of the console under Louis XV. 
At that time, as under the Regency or Louis XIV, the models were elaborate and decorated with very elaborate motifs. Sculptures and reliefs, arched legs and curved fronts... 

This level of complexity no longer exists today, but the styles in question still inspire elegant creations, in particular Louis XV style consoles, for the decoration of rather classical interiors. 

A space between two windows or between two doors, under a mirror or on both sides of a fireplace, these were the most common destinations for these pieces of furniture. Places that are still favoured today.