Pair of boxes

Unknown

late 17th–early 18th century · Walnut · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This pair of rectangular boxes with canted corners displays finely carved decoration in relief carving which is typical for a group of pieces made in Nancy, in eastern France. The very fine-grained cherry wood, known as “bois de Sainte Lucie,” grew in a nearby forest. Named for the patron saint of the Lorraine region, this type of fruitwood was appreciated for its reddish-brown color and its pleasant smell reminiscent of cinnamon. Furthermore, it lent itself beautifully to carving often in intricate patterns resembling goldsmith work. These boxes would have been part of a dressing-table set and would have held combs, ribbons, and other personal grooming implements. The use of “bois de Sainte Lucie” for dressing-table sets was stimulated by Louis XIV’s sumptuary edicts of 1689 and 1709, which caused much French silver to be melted down.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 17th–early 18th century

Medium

Walnut

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Rosenberg and Stiebel Inc., 1963