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January 2004: Regionalism in the 21st century: French antique furniture in the era of globalization

As 2003 finished, many of my friends mused on how this past year had gone by even faster than any other year they could remember.
I must agree that our lives takes a faster pace each year. As Guy and I enjoy an increasing number of exhibits, travels, people and exotic places, Guy says it’s important that we keep up with our traditions, with what he calls our own *regionalism*: balancing what is new and exotic today with our roots is a daily exercise in our fast changing times.
Our roots include French antique traditions, old woodworking particularities, and our endless marveling at the old master-craftsmen unlimited creativity. Today I’ll share with you how the *Buffet a Horloge* illustrates the uniqueness of regional French antique furniture.

See the illustration of an antique BUFFET A HORLOGE:

http://www.gazette-drouot.com/gazette/cotes/gif/buffet_vaisselier/4.jpg

<REGIONALISM is central to France’s traditional furniture making. Each region features distinctive styles and types of furniture. Their uses adapt to climatic and geographic local particularities, resulting in an impressive diversity. Found almost exclusively in the Bressan region, the French antique *Buffet a Horloge* ingeniously combines a clock and a tall buffet. This feature is unique to the Bresse - north-east of Lyon - not far from Beaune. The clock is usually a Comtoise from nearby Jura. The tall buffet, or vaisselier, is used to store and display “la vaisselle”, the French term for dinnerware. Typical wood species include elm, walnut and burr. The burr is taken from the largest part of the tree roots, with vein forming swirling patterns. Though classified in the French country furniture category, the *Buffet a Horloge* is as complex as some of the French antique furniture made for the nobility. It required the expertise of a highly trained cabinet maker.

Because so many elements play a role in the discovery of where a piece was made, the study of French antique furniture regional origins provides a never ending cultural enrichment, We will look at wood species and decor, style and design, construction techniques, and influences of local trades and neighboring countries.

1) RULE #1: Know what trees grew in each region.
WOOD SPECIES differ in each region, depending on its particular climate. And trees were not moved easily. So local woods found in one place were not used in another. If pine forests covered the hills of Jura, small chestnut trees grew in the plains of Brittany. If pine was consistently found in the Savoie mountains, in the Loire Valley light-colored fruit wood like walnut, cherry and wild cherry were common. Adding to the difficulties they had in traveling and transporting trees, people in the old times didn’t want to change their habits, region-specific uses and traditions.
Unlike the rest of France, large port-cities like Bordeaux and Nantes used in their designs the exotic woods that they imported. Of course, so did the Parisian craftsmen who worked for the Louis kings and the Nobility.
2.REGIONS and SPECIFIC French antique furniture DECORS
Whichever strikes me first in a French antique furniture - wood or decor, Guy examines both to determine local provenance. Floral motifs abound in Provence, along the Cote d’Azur, in the Center and the Loire valley. In addition to florals, more region-specific decors remain inside a definite area, like the olive-shaped *bobeches* -spindles that adorn most Provencal antique furniture, or the Breton *fuseaux tournes* - turned spindles - in Brittany. These are shaped after the lace makers’ bobbins and arranged in geometrical motifs drawn from fishermen’s trade, like anchors and rudders. Some are inspired by Catholicism, like crosses carved with spindles on a pierced-work design. In the Loire Valley, inlays of contrasting woods in the shape of stars, crosses and light florals adorn luminous fruitwood furniture. Fan-shaped carvings are typical in Bearn, in contrast to the heavy Renaissance revival figures carved in the dark oak French antique furniture of the North.
3: REGION specific French antique FURNITURE-TYPE
Some French antique furniture like salt box, *farinaio* or the uniquely Bressan *Buffet a Horloge* were unique to a region. Sometimes climate dictated furniture designs. If closed bed were popular in regions with harsh winters, beds of the Mediterranean coast were no different from ours.

4. NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES’ INFLUENCE on French antique furniture.
If foreign cultures penetrated borders, central regions retained their cultural characteristics. Bordering with France are Spain, Italy, Germany and *les Flandres* - now Belgium. In Alsace-Lorraine, French antique furniture are heavy and formal. Provence’s closeness to Italy explains the exuberance and lightness of its rich flowery carved style. Despite the Pyrenees mountains natural border with Spain, the South-Western region is more austere than its Eastern counterpart. Influenced by Spain, the Pyrenees region Louis XIII inspired style has straight lines, geometric carvings and massive structures. This contrasts with the Louis XV delicately turned light French antique furniture of Provence or the Riviera.
5. TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTION in French antique furniture
Regions also differ in the assembling techniques they use. Rustic construction by the end user for himself is not what the well trained “ebeniste” in Lyon offers to his wealthy clients. In Bresse and Alsace, French antique furniture were made with *tenons et mortaise* and *queues d’aronde* by master craftsmen , thus giving an academic flair to their French country furniture. In contrast, local farmers and townspeople in rural areas made their own furniture using straight assembling with glue and nails.
6. REGIONAL TRADES’ and French antique furniture decor
Farming, fishing and lace making contributed to the uniqueness of a regional look. In Provence, the olive-shaped spindles or *bobeches* lined French antique furniture, echoing the landscape and cuisine dominated by olives and olive trees. Breton women were fine lace makers, and their small turned spindles adorn most French antique furniture in Brittany, with decors also reflecting men’s fishing activities, with rudder shaped motifs.

See illustration of French antique spindles below:

Additions to our GLOSSARY:

*BOBECHES*, bobeche is the French word for spindles or finials: small wood turned decorative elements. In Provence, they are turned like olives. In Brittany they are designed after the lace makers’ bobbins.

BURR OF WOOD - Burr of wood is called in French *Loupe* : burr is taken from the widest part of the tree roots, with vein forming swirling-like patterns. In Bresse, walnuts and elms are the most popular trees for burr.

DOVETAIL, dovetail is *queues d’aronde* in French: Tenons made in shape of swallow tail are inserted in a hole of similar shape to assemble two parts. Dating back from the Archaic period, dovetail examples were recently discovered near Ottawa, Canada.

STUD AND MORTISE, stud and mortise is the French translation of *tenon et mortaise*

FARINAIO: farinaio is the old Provencal word for flour box, a wood container that served to mix flour and tiny fish before frying. Had four small feet and was hung on kitchen walls.

BUFFET A HORLOGE: buffet a horloge is a hutch with open shelving plate rack mounted with a Comtoise clock

Till next time,
Daniele et Guy Veroli