Two Curious French Naive Carved Walnut Architectural Models

Period: 1800-1900

Origin: France

Medium: Wood

Literature: Aveyron is a department located in the north of the Occitane region of Southern France named after the Aveyron River in the prefecture of Rodez. Estaing is a community in the Aveyron.
Boularot is a family name associated with the area in the 18th century and 19th centuries so it is possible that this particular model was made by three generations of the same Boularot family. Begun in 1812 with additional modelling in 1849 and with the central figure of Napoleon completed probably at the end of the 19th century.
Scale models of buildings were systematic rather than inventive as they were made to represent a tangible structure that helped explain to potential clients the essentials of an architectural project. These models were produced by amateurs with an artistic flair and a sense of national patriotism and history and were instructive as well as decorative.