| The influence of the French on
furniture design was extensive. King Louis XIV
was a man of extravagant tastes. When he began
his reign, cabinets were built largely according
to Italian designs. His demand for a unique
French culture led him to urge his best
designers to create a distinctively French look.
While surfaces were kept flat in the early
period of the Renaissance, King Louis XIV
encouraged elaborate carving and scrollwork,
richly chased fruit and floral motifs, swags and
leafage. His designers created a free, lavish
interpretation of the Renaissance’s classical
lines and proportions. Renowned American
furniture designer and cabinet maker Charles A.
Porter has created a modern French masterpiece.
Intricately carved from top to bottom in the
“Buhl” style developed in the late 1600’s by
artisan Andre Boulle, virtually every popular
motif of Renaissance France is found on this
table. Nowhere else can such exquisite detail be
found on a table designed as a historic
showpiece and intended for practical use. |
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| Rails: Hand-selected
Carpathian elm burl and Brazilian Rosewood,
inlaid diamond-shaped, genuine mother-of-pearl
sights. |
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| Cabinet: Solid Honduras
mahogany standard. |
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| Slate: Matched, 1” thick,
diamond honed to precise dimensions for a
professional playing surface. Framed backed with
poplar hardwood for increased durability. |
