Gothic Bench

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This oak bench is a tribute to High Gothic styling as interpreted by 19th century French craftsmen whose originality and whimsy make this one of the most captivating benches we have ever acquired. In its overall structure, it is faithful to its roots in the so-called Flamboyant Gothic, making generous use of fenestrage decoration whose inspiration lies in the elaborate designs of stained glass windows in Gothic cathedrals. As a type of furniture, the bench or banc is one of the oldest forms and like so many others, traces its parentage to the chest or coffre. By adding a back and arms, the chest became a bench while retaining its storage feature with the lid becoming the seat. In chateaus, the vestibules or entry areas were typically ringed with benches which were heavily carved and often covered in pillows made of luxurious fabrics or draped with tapestries or carpets. Benches were also used in the bed chamber, frequently near the fire, in order to block drafts and increase warmth. A bench remarkably similar to this one is depicted in just such a vignette in the illustration of a 13th century bedroom on Plate XIII of Volume I of Viollet-le-Duc's Dictionnaire Raisonné du Mobilier. In the main hall of chateaus, a high-backed bench on a dais or low platform served as the seat of authority for the châtelain or owner in dealings with his tenants and vassals (see Figure 2 on page 39 of the Dictionnaire). Benches were also used at tables for meals in the main hall (see Figure 6 on page 97 of the Dictionnaire). Most striking about this bench is the contrast of happy and sad. On the front of the left armrest is a frowning or melancholy face whereas on the right armrest is a merry face. A tie of sorts in the battle between sadness and happiness is resolved in favor of mirth by the smiling face on the central panel at the top of the bench. The faces are beautifully, if somewhat fancifully rendered and it is difficult to tell if they are men or women. Perhaps the bench was created in honor of a wedding and designed to evoke both the joy and sadness that married life could bring, although it is not clear whether it is the bride or the groom who is happy. Perhaps it is the mother-in-law who watches over them, triumphant, from the top central panel. As with so many of the pieces which fascinate us, it is frustrating that furniture cannot talk and tell us the story behind its creation. The skillfully carved fenestrage on this bench is made up of four panels on the back and four below the seat. In each case, the two outermost panels and the two innermost match. The panels on the back of the bench use the typical design of pointed arches at the bottom with elaborate curving shapes above. In the case of the matching central panels, the area above the pointed arches includes two hearts, one of which is inverted above the other as when a paper valentine is cut from paper folded at the top of the heart and then opened. The back is topped with an intricately carved frieze on either side of the central panel, crowned with a stylized fleur-de-lys, from which the triumphant, smiling face gazes out. The finials on either side atop the vertical members are three-dimensional flames, the Old French term for which put the flamb in Flamboyant Gothic. Just as its forbears retained the storage aspects of benches descended from chests, this bench also has a seat which doubles as the lid for the enclosed area below. In keeping with 19th century reverence for Gothic furniture, this piece is made from solid oak stained to a rich, dark hue which has attained a lush patina with age. Boussel, Patrice, Les Styles du Moyen Age à Louis XIV (Baschet et Cie, Paris, 1979); Thirion, Jacques, Le Mobilier du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance en France (Editions Faton, Dijon, 1998); Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène, Le Mobilier Médiéval (Georges Bernage, editor) (Editions Heimdal, 2003) While ideal in an entryway or foyer, this bench would also work well in a living room, study, library or kitchen where its versatility as a storage space would also be appreciated. For more information, M. Markley Antiques on the Web is the premier resource in the U.S. for French Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival furniture, including Henri II and Louis XIII styles.

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