Wonderful pair of painted French Gothic Revival pedestals, circa mid-late 19th century, in the manner of Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879). Each pedestal is fitted with doors and is decorated with ecclesiastical and/or Masonic symbols, suggesting that they may have been used in a church or temple. H. 44 inches. W. 34 1/2 inches.

Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (27 January 1814 - 17 September 1879) was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.

His works were largely restorative and few of his independent building designs were ever realised. Strongly contrary to the prevailing Beaux-Arts architectural trend of his time, much of his design work was largely derided by his contemporaries. He was the architect hired to design the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty, but died before the project was completed. [Wikipedia]