French Provincial Bleached Oak Armoire or Wardrobe, Early 19th Century

Details

Description

Early 19th Century French provincial armoire or wardrobe. Probably from Normandy. Made from solid oak. Restored ready for everyday use … Read more Early 19th Century French provincial armoire or wardrobe. Probably from Normandy. Made from solid oak. Restored ready for everyday use with bleached surface.

A beautiful example of traditional French provincial craftsmanship. Cabinets of this type were made from the 18th century until the second half of the 19th century and were often used as dowry for marriage, as so-called wedding cabinets.

Two-door, side-moulded oak body in gallery construction with a high rectangular structure with strong corner studs, mortise-and-tenon frame elements and solid panels. Artfully moulded and carved with classicist floral, ornamental and figural decoration.

Slightly rounded corner pilaster strips and a multiple curved sawn-out plinth frame end in volute-shaped feet. Two large doors in frame and panel construction are each hung on 3 external iron fittings. Both are decorated with flower and leaf tendrils and festoons, as well as a large medallion carved in relief and framed by several friezes depicting a dove with flowering branches. The upper end is formed by a cantilevered hollow groove wreath moulding with a stylised acanthus leaf and braided band frieze.

Inside, the wardrobe is fitted with a clothes rail, a shelf above and 2 additional shelves.

Dimensions

Height: 220 cm  /  86.61 inch.

Width: 135 cm (body) or 150 cm (headboard)  /  53.15 inch (body) or 59.06 inch (headboard)

Depth: 51 cm (body) or 56 cm (headboard)  /  20.08 inch (body) or 22.05 inch. (headboard)

Shelf depth: 43.5 cm  /  17.13 inch.



Good condition with slight signs of age-related wear including old woodworm channels (not active!) and minor visible repairs. The dark surface coating has been removed from the wood and bleached to reveal the texture of the oak wood in a light colour without sealing. See less