French Cabinet From The 19th Century, Napoleon III Period.

A magnificent black rectangular 2-door cabinet in the Napoleon III style. Small and large details are gilded, bringing an antique and luxurious look. Brass medallions are mounted in the center of each door and also adorn the upper front of the cabinet. The interior of the cabinet is divided into three horizontal shelves. At the bottom of the cabinet, there is a woman's mask, decorated with floral motifs, in particular acanthus leaves, and it is completed on the side by a rich ornamentation of caryatids in gilded bronze. The borders that run along the cabinet are all gilded and engraved with beautiful patterns. On the two doors of the cabinet, two large figures enclosed in an oval border, representing Apollo, the god of music, and Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Both are the son of Zeus, and they are also frequently featured in mythological tales about the other. When Hermes was just a toddler, he once left his crib to steal his half-brother Apollo's cattle. Apollo soon discovered that his herd was missing and began to search the surrounding area. Of course, Apollo was the god of prophecy, so he soon discovered the thief and furiously went to Mount Cyllene to find Hermes in his cave. He seized the child and took him to Mount Olympus, to be judged by their master Zeus, the king of the gods. In front of Zeus, Hermes initially denied everything, but in the end he had to confess. Zeus found the story quite amusing, so he did not punish Hermes, but only asked him to return the herd. Hermes regretted what he had done and gave Apollo his lyre as a gift. The lyre was a musical instrument that Hermes had created all by himself from the shell of a turtle. To thank Hermes for his kindness, Apollo returned the gesture by giving Hermes a golden staff to guide the flocks. From this moment, peace reigned again on Mount Olympus and a strong friendship was born between Hermes and Apollo.