{"product_id":"antique-french-sandblasted-oak-empire-buffet","title":"Antique French Sandblasted Oak Empire Buffet","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING\u003c\/em\u003e - please email austynmariedesign@gmail.com for a shipping quote\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is an Empire buffet from the first half of the 19th century, built as a single deep cabinet behind a pair of paneled doors with a long drawer across the frieze above. Detached columns at the front corners, ringed top and bottom in brass, give it the architectural front the Empire period is known for. I had the piece sandblasted after acquiring it, which took the oak down to a pale, raw, matte surface very different from the warm waxed oak these usually wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Dimensions | 39.75 in H x 54.5 in W x 24.5 in D\u003cbr\u003e[d]Period | Empire, first half 19th century\u003cbr\u003e[d]Date | Circa 1840, construction-based estimate\u003cbr\u003e[d]Style | Empire\u003cbr\u003e[d]Country of Origin | France\u003cbr\u003e[d]Primary Wood | Oak (assessed; see condition note)\u003cbr\u003e[d]Finish | Sandblasted to raw, pale, matte surface\u003cbr\u003e[d]Secondary Wood | Oak and softwood interior and back\u003cbr\u003e[d]Construction | Solid plank construction; riven and hand-sawn backboards; detached front columns; paneled doors\u003cbr\u003e[d]Hardware | Pierced brass door escutcheons; brass shield escutcheon to drawer; brass column collars; later zinc-plated door strike plates\u003cbr\u003e[d]Also Known As | buffet à hauteur d'appui, Empire commode\u003cbr\u003e[d]Drawer | Single frieze drawer\u003cbr\u003e[d]Interior | Single shelf (later, cut-down replacement)\u003cbr\u003e[d]Keys | None present\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[condition]\u003cbr\u003eThis buffet has been sandblasted, which I did after acquiring it. Blasting removes the original surface, oxidation, and tool marks, so the exterior reads as a pale raw oak rather than an aged waxed finish. It also removes the surface cues that would normally confirm wood species from the outside; I have assessed the piece as oak based on the grain, the ring-porous figure on the door panels, and the unblasted oxidized wood visible inside the case, but I am stating that as an assessment rather than a certainty. The interior and backboards retain their old dark oxidized surface and were not blasted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe doors do not stay shut. The original locking mechanism is not functional for keeping them closed, and later zinc-plated strike plates have been added, which is what you see on the door edges; they do not hold reliably. No keys are present for the drawer or the doors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe right front leg is missing a section, with old splitting and loss at the lower portion (see photos). There are small worm flight holes visible in the leg and along a column base, with oxidation in the checks consistent with old, likely inactive activity; the piece has not been formally tested or treated for active infestation, so I am disclosing it as-is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe interior shelf is a later replacement that has been cut down, a make-shift job rather than an original fitted shelf. The backboards show an old patched repair let into the planks. There is shrinkage, checking, and splitting throughout consistent with age, including at the top edge and corners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#102\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie Design","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51482660503830,"sku":"AMD-03541","price":4900.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/Belgium_FranceInventoryContinued-8492.jpg?v=1785188092","url":"https:\/\/austyn-marie-design.myshopify.com\/products\/antique-french-sandblasted-oak-empire-buffet","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}