Pair Of Antique Henri Ii Style Walnut Nightstands With Marble Tops Appraisal

Pair of Antique Henri II Style Walnut Nightstands with Marble Tops

This is a highly ornate pair of late 19th-century French Henri II Style bedside cabinets or nightstands, likely dating between 1870 and 1890. Each piece is meticulously crafted from solid walnut, showcasing a rich warm patina and extensive architectural carving. The cabinets feature a tall, decorative backsplash (cheminee) topped with a pediment and central cresting. Beneath the backsplash sits a dark, possibly charcoal or Saint Anne marble inset top with molded edges. The lower cabinet structure includes a single drawer above a single door, both heavily carved. Notable features include full-length pilasters flanking the doors, adorned with carved 'caryatid' style female busts and foliated scrollwork. The cabinet doors themselves feature a central relief carving of a winged dragon or architectural beast, a hallmark of the Neo-Renaissance aesthetic. The bases are supported by stout, carved block feet. The condition appears fair to good for their age, exhibiting typical minor wood shrinkage, small nicks to the carvings, and a consistent age-related patina. The marble tops show no major fractures in the image, though surface scratching is common for this period. The craftsmanship is of high quality, indicative of fine European cabinetry from the late Victorian era, blending Gothic and Renaissance Revival motifs.