Antique Victorian Rosewood Canterbury Whatnot & Side Table With Drawer

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Description

This exceptional Victorian Canterbury whatnot is a classic example of high-end, mid-to-late 19th-century British cabinetry. Created with the rich, highly … Read more This exceptional Victorian Canterbury whatnot is a classic example of high-end, mid-to-late 19th-century British cabinetry. Created with the rich, highly decorative grain patterns typical of premium rosewood veneers, it seamlessly merged the open display shelving of a traditional whatnot with the segmented storage of a music stand. Legend has it that such a piece was originally commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the late 18th century.

Today, it’s a peerless side table, place right next to the beckoning lounge chair by the fireplace—a fine whisky on the top and favorite newspapers and magazines tucked in right below. (Hide the remotes in the bottom drawer.)

DESIGN: There’s an oval upper tray featuring two robust, scroll-carved wooden carrying handles for mobility. The top is supported by barley-twist columns accented with decorative miniature finials. Below, the mid-tier partitioned sections are styled with ornate open-fretwork carvings and central scrolled medallions. Underneath it all, a hidden lower drawer pulls out smoothly on twin turned knobs, completely lined in deep blue protective fabric. Short, turned legs terminate in metal castors to glide easily across rugs.

FUNCTION: Combining a music caddy base with a solid upper tier table surface was a mid-to-late 19th-century evolution. It catered to wealthier homeowners who wanted multitasking furniture pieces for their formal parlors. For example, it served for holding unbound sheet music, manuscripts, large newspapers and high-society periodicals. While standard Canterburies are open-topped, this hybrid Canterbury Whatnot model incorporates a solid upper table level, frequently utilized to host tea services or a spirit decanter stand.

DATE: Based on its highly decorative style, this piece would have been made during the High Victorian period, specifically as early as 1855 to 1875. Early 19th-century Canterburies featured simple, solid wooden slats or basic X-frame dividers. The complex, pierced fretwork and intricate scrolled medallions seen here didn't gain widespread popularity in British and American furniture manufacturing until the 1860s’ Rococo Revival wave. The choice of barley-twist columns accented with tiny finials aligns directly with the eclectic, highly stylized ornamentation favored by cabinetmakers between 1860 and 1875.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Nonexistent. See less