{"id":11977,"date":"2026-03-04T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gabrielle-laroche.com\/product\/important-coffre-du-val-de-loire-depoque-renaissance-dedie-a-adam-et-eve\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:29:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T14:29:49","slug":"important-coffre-du-val-de-loire-depoque-renaissance-dedie-a-adam-et-eve","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.gabrielle-laroche.com\/en\/product\/important-coffre-du-val-de-loire-depoque-renaissance-dedie-a-adam-et-eve\/","title":{"rendered":"IMPORTANT LOIRE VALLEY RENAISSANCE CHEST DEDICATED TO ADAM AND EVE"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This blond walnut chest, dating from the 16th century and originating from the Loire Valley, bears witness to the refined art of the French Second Renaissance. Its solid construction is distinguished by its exuberant ornamentation, typical of the period. The main fa\u00e7ade presents a synthesis of the story of the Creation of Eve and the Fall, arranged in two panels framed by three caryatids. The key, executed with remarkable goldsmith-like craftsmanship, has been preserved in its original condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMale and female He created them\u201d \u2014 Genesis 2:4\u201325<\/p>\n

The narrative is organized into four distinct scenes, distributed across two medallions enclosed by garlands of oak leaves and acorns, delicately adorned with decorative knots.<\/p>\n

First medallion :<\/p>\n

The story opens with the scene in the background, on the left :
\nGod, depicted as a bearded king, draws from Adam\u2019s sleeping side the body of Eve. At the center of the composition unfolds the pivotal moment of the narrative : Eve offers Adam the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Life. The Tempter, a hybrid serpent-woman, coils her body around the trunk and urges the woman with a gesture of the hand.<\/p>\n

Eve\u2019s nudity, delicately rendered, evokes the grace of an antique Venus. Adam\u2019s posture recalls an engraving by Jean Sadeler after Martin de Vos (circa 1550\u20131600), whose extensive body of work inspired many craftsmen (In Adam omnes moriuntur).<\/p>\n

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Second medallion :<\/p>\n

Here unfolds the dramatic consequence of the first episode. The forbidden fruit has opened the couple\u2019s eyes to their nakedness: Eve hands Adam foliage to conceal the bodies of which they are now ashamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.\u201d \u2014 Genesis 3:1\u20137<\/p>\n

According to divine will, an angel descends from the heavens, sword in hand, driving the damned couple from the gates of Paradise. Between the man and the woman stands a skeleton: death now shares their exile.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, \u2018You shall not eat of it,\u2019 cursed is the ground because of you.\u201d \u2014 Genesis 3:17<\/p>\n

The three caryatids follow a unified composition: draped terms gracefully lifting their garments with one hand, topped by a putto\u2019s head from which garlands of apples\u2014the symbol of the forbidden fruit\u2014unfold. They are refined and meticulously detailed, with finely carved ornaments and expressively rendered faces.<\/p>\n

On the left, a mustachioed man, crowned with feathers and wearing a Roman-style tunic, conceals lions\u2019 heads on his shoulders and forehead. On the right, his counterpart wears an \u201cOriental\u201d headdress; his thick, wavy hair departs from Italian models.<\/p>\n

For while the French Renaissance drew heavily upon engravings and transalpine masters, it adapted their ornamental vocabulary to its own sensibility. These distinctive figures, along with the architectural organization of the piece, testify to this synthesis: an art nourished by multiple influences, imbued with an international spirit yet faithful to French individuality. At the center, a nude female figure with exposed chest serves as the keyhole\u2014the receptacle of the key.<\/p>\n

The ornamentation of this chest fully embraces the Italianate taste, enriched with motifs borrowed from Antiquity. Two friezes run along the panels, animated with sacrificial garlands intertwined with vines, putti, and lions\u2019 heads. The sides, designed with raised panels, feature a central rosette surrounded by acanthus leaves and fitted with a drop handle. The whole is surmounted by a sequence of bird feathers and geometric patterns, while large plumes frame the rosette, emphasizing the richness and coherence of the decoration.<\/p>\n

This chest, adorned with an exuberant and exquisitely delicate decoration, brilliantly exemplifies the art of the Loire Valley in the second half of the 16th century. Heir to the tradition of French huchiers (master joiners), it elegantly integrates Italian motifs popularized by engravings from the Fontainebleau workshops. The exceptional preservation of its original key further enhances its prestige.<\/p>\n

Bibliography:
\nAdam and Eve: From D\u00fcrer to Chagall, Engravings from the Biblioth\u00e8que nationale.<\/p>\n

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IMPORTANT LOIRE VALLEY RENAISSANCE CHEST DEDICATED TO ADAM AND EVE<\/h4>\n

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ORIGIN\u00a0: FRANCE, LOIRE VALLEY<\/p>\n

PERIOD\u00a0: SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY, Circa 1560 – 1580<\/p>\n

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Height\u00a0: 78 cm<\/p>\n

Length : 147 cm<\/p>\n

Depth\u00a0: 60 cm<\/p>\n

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Blond Walnut wood<\/p>\n

Good state of preservation<\/p>\n

Original Key<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n[dt_button size=\"small\" style=\"default\" animation=\"none\" color_mode=\"default\" icon=\"\" icon_align=\"left\" color=\"\" link=\"mailto:gabrielle-laroche@wanadoo.fr?subject=403_IMPORTANT_RENAISSANCE_CHEST_DEDICATED_TO_ADAM_AND _EVE\" target_blank=\"true\"]DEMANDE D’INFORMATIONS[\/dt_button]\n

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