H.F. Jansen Furniture

19th century, Empire wood sideboard by H.F. Jansen & Zonen This elegant Empire style cupboard was made, as shown by the brand on the back of the cabinet, by the famous manufacturer H.F. Jansen & Zonen, active in Amsterdam from 1840-1948. It consists of a wooden structure paved with the different woods. On the front, which has the sections on the sides downgraded with respect to the central portion, is equipped with three drawers decorated with gilded finely chiselled applications. On the central drawer, the bronzes depict two fantastic animals with the body of winged swans drinking from a fountain whose water flows from the centre of the lock. The body of the swans is transformed into circles, volutes and plant elements. The side drawers instead have chiselled bronzes with two girls dressed in ancient clothes that, as if they were flying, sound graceful a zither that culminates in the lock. Under the drawers there are three doors that hide compartments with shelves. The central door has applications in golden bronze with foliage motifs and in the centre, inscribed in a circle, two branches of laurel crossed and narrow by a bow. The side doors instead have bronzes with two winged girls, dressed in the old and classic taste, which hold a vase on the head. The uprights of the cupboard are also decorated with bronzes: a zither, a half-bust of a woman that serves as a capital, foliage elements and feet that support a column with a square section. The front feet of the dresser are in bronze in the shape of lion paw. The top, which follows the line of the front, is in yellow marble. The founder of the family business HF Jansen is Hendrik Fredrik Jansen (1819-1896), born in a Catholic family in Amsterdam. He founded the company that soon, expanding, had a lot of luck, circa 1840. The furniture, interior design and furniture were quickly appreciated by the highest environments. Contributions were often praised at exhibitions and competitions. In 1886, the company provided King William III’s bedroom for Soestdijk Palace, while for Princess Wilhelmina...