Early 19th Century Italian Walnut Renaissance Revival Buffet

Early 19th Century Italian Walnut Renaissance Revival Buffet is a stellar example of the combination of classical architecture inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans melded with stylish embellishments inspired by the Renaissance.  Crafted on a larger scale, it was designed for palatial villa with spacious interior, and is set upon handsome lions' paws serving as feet.  The boldly molded top surface is enhanced by a tier of molding which is an Italian combination of dentil and egg & dart trim.  Below that appears the drawer tier, with two tailored drawers fitted with turned pulls and flanked with three carved corbels, which in turn are flanked with circular rosettes facing front and to the side.  Surprisingly, the corbels themselves are also cutlery drawers!  The rosettes appear over turned columns for a neoclassical touch, set in their own corner niches.  The cabinet door facade features boldly carved floral rosettes encircling the door pulls, with carved pilasters appearing on each flank next to the aforementioned columns and also appearing at the center stile, all lavished with heraldic crests atop elegantly carved foliate and Greek coin motifs as yet another nod to classical themes.  Doors open to reveal a cavernous interior, which at some point was papered with fleur de lys pattern, and the paper remains in surprisingly good condition!  Bold base molding above the lions' paws completes the look.
Circa 1830s
Measures 46H x 70.5W x 24D