Franz Xaver Habermann

These exuberantly curving, asymmetrical designs are characteristic of the Rococo style that originated in the early 1700s in France. A trained sculptor, Franz Xaver Habermann

also created designs for furniture, interiors, and objects. This pair of etchings depicts ornamental motifs for window decorations, but they could have also served as inspiration for the creation of gilt-bronze mounts for furniture, such as ones on the commode by Charles Cressent. The empty space within the designs would have made these well-suited for an escutcheon, or decorative covering for a locking mechanism.