Charentes-Poitou. Mobilier régional.
Paris: Éditions Massin. ISBN 2-7072-0319-X.
This book is dedicated to the regional furniture of the Charentes and Poitou regions and places it in the wider context of French provincial furniture. The focus is on the variety of woods used - especially cherry, walnut and fruit trees - and their lively colour effects, which are complemented by handcrafted techniques such as inlays, marquetry and characteristic fittings. The furniture from this region is characterised by an emphatically cheerful, almost playful design, which is reflected both in the choice of materials and in decorative details.
Particular attention is paid to the typical regional forms and characteristics: from richly designed buffets and cabinets to the characteristic single-leaf cabinets of the Saintonge and the so-called Vendéensian cabinets. The importance of local features such as the polychrome design in the Marais Poitevin and the independent furniture culture around Melle is also emphasised. This is complemented by the influence of coastal trade between La Rochelle and the Île de Ré, which led to the use of rare, sometimes tropical woods. Overall, the work conveys a differentiated picture of a region whose furniture art is characterised by rural tradition, refined craftsmanship and supra-regional influences in equal measure.


