Empire Console

Here are some images of the restoration of this Empire-era console.

But first, a little history: do you know what a console is and what it was used for?

Primarily a decorative piece of furniture placed in the entrance of apartments or between two windows, the "console table" – as it was called under Louis XV – consists of a marble top supported by two scrolled legs and is placed against the wall. Louis XV, The models are often elaborate and adorned with highly stylized motifs. Sculptures and reliefs, arched legs and curved facades…The consoles Louis XVI are very different. The cabriole legs are replaced by straight, fluted legs, with or without reeding, joined by a curved stretcher supporting an antique urn or a vase with rectangular handles. The rectangular or semicircular marble top follows the apron decorated with rosette interlacing or fluting. Garlands of roses and sculpted, draped bows adorn the frieze.

Furthermore, the addition of a lower shelf gives rise to the console table or serving console, intended for dining rooms. It can also transcend its domestic role to serve a more ornamental purpose, as a support for lamps and decorative objects, associated with a painting, hence its designation as a "pier stand". 

Under the Directory, The rectangular consoles abandoned their half-moon shape. Their materials and ornamentation were very simple. The tables featured a marble top supported by tapered legs, sometimes adorned with caryatids, chimeras, swans, griffins, and sphinxes, which would become standard under the‘'Empire.

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As for the Empire console, it is massive and stately, rectangular, though sometimes found in a semi-circular shape. The marble top is supported by a wide mahogany band.u Decorated with bronzes depicting antique effigies, swans, and allegorical figures, the four legs rest on a thick wooden base that replaces the stretcher of earlier periods. The front legs may be either sphinxes or caryatids in sheaths, or simply decorated with applied bronzes. They often terminate in claws. The base, positioned between the rear legs, is always very simple.

Under the Restoration, The narrow, rectangular consoles, with their softened corners, retain the Empire structure while adopting a more refined style. The dark marble top is cut straight, but the sharp edges are smoothed by careful grinding. It rests on a wide frieze, decorated with an inlaid motif, supported by two curved consoles that sometimes join the straight rear legs. A thick, slightly recessed plinth connects the legs. A mirror may be positioned between the rear legs.

The era Napoleon III This reveals a very clear preference for small tables, consoles, and pedestal tables. The most interesting consoles are rather heavy pieces of furniture, with a long rectangular top resting on caryatids. Some are made entirely of gilded bronze, others of painted cast iron.

The Restoration

A fairly standard restoration. A few old veneer patches needed replacing, a crack in the top was repaired, the veneer was removed and the worm-eaten legs were reinforced, and two missing solid mahogany moldings were added to the rear legs. The bronzes were thoroughly cleaned by ARTE, and the marble top was cleaned by François Garnier. Stripping the old, yellowed varnish and applying a French polish were all that was needed to restore this Empire console to its former glory.

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To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/

You can find this secretary at Antiques Stéphane Guin