Armoire 19th century

Hugues Sambin, a prominent French sculptor and designer, crafted this elaborately carved Armoire in the 19th century. The piece, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases the artist's mastery of the Mannerist style, a period characterized by exaggerated forms and intricate ornamentation. The armoire, constructed of oak, features a two-part structure with a tall upper cabinet and a lower cabinet with two doors. Intricate carvings of human figures, floral motifs, and grotesque masks decorate the piece, reflecting the period's penchant for artistic extravagance and a departure from the Renaissance's classical ideals.