French Curio Curved Glass

LOUIS XV FRENCH PROVINCIAL STYLE CURVED-GLASS LIGHTED CURIO CABINET - CARVED CREST, HAND-PAINTED FLORAL MEDALLION, MIRRORED BACK, THREE SERPENTINE GLASS SHELVES, VELVET-LINED BASE, KEY AND WORKING INTERIOR LIGHT An impressive Louis XV / French Provincial style curio display cabinet in a warm fruitwood or cherry finish with gilt-highlighted carving, standing about seventy inches tall on graceful cabriole legs. The case is fully glazed on three sides with bowed, curved glass - a curved glass door flanked by curved glass side panels - so the contents are visible from nearly every angle, and the interior is fitted with a mirrored back, three shaped serpentine glass shelves on adjustable pegs, and a gold velvet-lined base shelf. The cabinet is crowned by a deeply carved and pierced rococo crest with a central shell-and-scroll cartouche framed by flowers and foliage, and the shaped apron below the door carries a hand-painted oval medallion of an urn of roses and mixed flowers on a gilt and green-bordered reserve, with carved and gilded rocaille scrollwork to either side. Gilt rope-twist molding outlines each glass panel. The cabinet has a working interior light with two pull chains - the photographs show it switched on and illuminated - and a functioning door lock with the flat key present. This is the right cabinet for displaying figurines, porcelain, cut glass, or collectibles, and it would suit a dining room, entry, or living room; note that the Lladr figurine and porcelain lots elsewhere in this sale would display beautifully in it. Note the flaws detailed below, including a chipped glass shelf edge, staining to the velvet base lining, and disturbance to the wood around the lock and hinge plates. Sold as one cabinet with its glass shelves, key, and light as pictured. Description Style and form: upright single-door curio vitrine in Louis XV / French Provincial taste, with a serpentine shaped cornice, bomb-swept sides, and four carved cabriole legs ending in scrolled toes, each leg headed by carved acanthus leafage with gilt highlights. Crest: a separately carved, pierced, and applied rococo crest across the top, centered on a shell-and-scroll cartouche with a fluted element above, flanked by carved flowers, buds, and leafy scrolls, with gold gilt rubbed into the high points. Glazing: curved (bowed) glass door with a shaped upper edge, plus curved glass panels on both sides. Each glass opening is framed with applied gilt rope-twist molding. Interior: mirrored back panel, three shaped serpentine glass shelves resting on metal pegs set into rows of drilled holes so the shelves are height-adjustable, and a base shelf lined in gold velvet or velour. Lighting: an interior tube light fixture mounted under the top with two beaded pull chains. One photograph shows the fixture lit and working, though bidders should note the cord is visible running out at the rear and the fixture is an older two-tube style; bulb condition and long-term function are not warranted. Hardware: a keyed cabinet lock in the door stile with a small flat key present and shown in the photographs, plus flat metal hinge and strike plates set into the frame. Finish: medium warm brown fruitwood-tone finish over the carved and shaped wood, with gilt or gold-painted accents on the crest carving, the apron scrollwork, the leg leafage, and the rope moldings, and hand-painted polychrome floral decoration in the oval apron medallion. Dimensions, per the Milwaukee tape-measure photographs: approximately 70 inches tall overall to the top of the carved crest, approximately 28 inches wide, and approximately 14 inches deep. The glass shelves span roughly 24 inches across at their widest. In each tape photograph the tape is held alongside or across the cabinet rather than hooked over an edge, and the vertical measurement is taken with the hook resting on the floor, so all figures are close estimates rather than exact measurements. Bidders should verify all dimensions from the photographs and should measure their doorways and stair turns before bidding. Marks: no maker's label, stencil, brand, or paper tag is visible in any of the photographs supplied, so no manufacturer is claimed. Attribution note Curved-glass curio and vitrine cabinets in this Louis XV revival idiom - carved and pierced crest, bomb glazed sides, cabriole legs with acanthus knees, hand-painted floral cartouche on the apron, mirrored back with glass shelves and interior lighting - were produced through the later twentieth century for the American furniture market, often in fruitwood or cherry with gilt highlighting, and are commonly cataloged as French Provincial or Louis XV style china or curio cabinets. The bowed glass on the door and both sides, the applied rope-twist moldings, and the hand-painted medallion mark this as a better-grade example rather than a plain flat-glass display case. Because no maker's label appears in the photographs, no attribution to a specific manufacturer