Union National Chinoiserie Breakfront Cabinet With Gilded Interior

Details

Description

I have a real weakness for furniture with Asian motifs, which is why this massive breakfront cabinet by Union National … Read more I have a real weakness for furniture with Asian motifs, which is why this massive breakfront cabinet by Union National Furniture Company caught my attention. This company is no longer in business, which makes these Chinoiserie models even more desirable. This cabinet is one of their earlier models and appears to have been made in the 1940's based on the aging of the paint and the hardware. I photographed this cabinet without the glass shelves, but I have all of them. There are quite a lot of holes on the sides of the three sections, so you can adjust the spacing between shelves. The pieces that fit into these holes are made from clear plastic and aren't noticeable once the shelves are in place. The top part of this cabinet is separate from the bottom part, making it easier to move. Each pane of glass in the four doors is beveled and is set into its own wooden frame, something I found remarkable. The artist who painted the delightful scenes on the four doors and elsewhere put his signature, B. Miglioro, in the right corner of the left door near the woman wearing the fluffy pink jacket (refer to picture 6). There is no metal plaque with the name of the manufacturer on the inside of one of the drawers, which is usual for furniture produced by Union National Furniture Company. The top part of the cabinet is fitted with lights, but I didn't check to see if they were in good working order. The electric cord is present on top of the cabinet.

There are a few condition issues that I need to point out. The black paint on the left side of the bottom part has been scratched (refer to picture 17). When the top part of the cabinet is placed on the base, it is flush in back, but not in front. These scratches are on the exposed part of the base. The brass handles show signs of verdigris because of their age. There are some scuffs around the lower part of the base. The paint is flaking in places. Flaws of this nature are to be expected in an older piece of furniture and tell us that it has had a previous life.

I photographed this breakfront cabinet on a beautiful sunny day. It will invariably look darker in an interior setting under artificial light. Please take this into consideration when matching colors.

Measurements

Height: 82"
Width: 90"
Depth: 18" See less