Pair of Louis XIV style marble sheaths,

Pair of white marble gaies, Louis XIV style, decorated with gilded bronze appliques decorated with laurel branches and playing putti. Second half of the 19th century. HX W X D = 113 X 32 x 27 cm. What we think: ultra decorative for a gallery; the best thing is the gilded bronzes which for once have not been added. Did you know? The fashion for sheaths has been growing since the 16th century. They were brought back into fashion by Louis XIV who even had the Languedoc quarries (royal red marble) reopened. The marble from these quarries was of great interest to King Louis XIV and his architects, who made it a preferred material for his palaces under construction. They are made of all materials, stone, marble, stucco, wood, and even ceramic. André-Charles Boulle produced beautiful marquetry sheaths during the reign of Louis XIV. They are decorated with fleurons, large leaves, a blue lapis lazuli background, pewter marquetry surrounded by fringes, volutes, foliage, moldings and beautiful gilded bronzes.