Known as a “St Hubert”, this impressive oak hunt buffet features a well-carved back wall with two shelves set above a traditional buffet body. This structure, as well as the presence of the highly detailed and scrolled pilasters, are hallmarks of a St Hubert buffet or vaisselier. Additionally, St Hubert was the patron saint of hunters, so pieces such as ours almost always feature hunting trophies or carvings of animals.
Perhaps the most noticeable carving is the ornate crown, which has a pair of winged lions flanking a shaped coat of arms topped by a scalloped shell with foliate margents running under the mythical creatures. Two more winged lions (with large monopodial feet) make up the pilasters that support the bottom shelf. The pilasters of the upper shelf are scrolled architectural elements with a curled leaf façade. Both shelves have volute leaf curls on each side, while the back wall has two foliate margents with a raised roundel medallion, set inside a rectangular border adorned with foliage.
The same rectangular border can be seen on all four doors of the main body, each enveloping a unique carving inspired by nature. Both center doors have been embellished with trophies of felled birds, opening to reveal a single shelf. The side doors, which have been meticulously carved in a curved fashion, feature fruit and floral bouquets tied with crinkled ribbons, and front a shaped shelf. Above each door is a drawer festooned with rectangular molding and foliate margents, separated by square joinery embellished with rosettes and leaf clusters. Buffets such as ours would have been used as presentation pieces for fresh game in French hunting lodges and manoirs. This exceptionally carved and perfectly bleached buffet or vaisselier can be used in a dining room as originally intended, or wherever a beautiful storage piece is needed, such as a hallway, dining room, den, or bar area.
CONDITION: Very good antique condition with very light age separations and minor nicks and rubs. Presence of old restoration work coupled with newer repairs. The buffet was bleached at some point, with slight remnants of the original finish. No key for drawer, but there are three functional door locks, each with their own key.
