Rare Creole or West Indies Mahogany Petite Armoire , early 19th c., cove-molded...

Rare Creole or West Indies Mahogany Petite Armoire , early 19th c., cove-molded cornice, veneered frieze with reeded banding, flush paneled doors with reeded center stile, scalloped skirt, cabriole legs with hoff feet, interior retaining original shelves and belt of drawers, h. 55 in., w. 43 in., d. 15 1/2 in Note: The use of flush panels for the doors and the distinctive "hoof" feet of this armoire exhibit the influence of French cabinetmaking transmitted through the Caribbean into North America. A mahogany armoire and a buffet by Haitian/Philadelphia cabinetmakers Jean Baptiste Laurent and Charles Domballe in the Girard collection share these "island" features. An armoire for the Ursuline Convent with elements similar to those seen in this example is also illustrated in Jessie Poesch, Early Furniture of Louisiana, Louisiana State Museum, p. 41, pl. 9. Ref.: For Laurent Domballe examples see The Stephen Girard Collection, fig 33-34. Another excellent resource is Holden. "Echoes of an Island Past: Flush Panel Armoires in Saint-Domingue and Louisiana," Southern Quarterly(Spring 2007).