Louis Philippe Chest of Drawers in Walnut Burl, 1860

Details

Description

This chest of drawers dates from the time of the French Louis-Philippe and stylistically can be placed between 1850 and … Read more This chest of drawers dates from the time of the French Louis-Philippe and stylistically can be placed between 1850 and 1870. Its effect is based on clearly graduated proportions and a consistently calm veneer pattern, which remains formally unified by the absence of visible fittings.

Historical Context: In the 18th century, the chest of drawers developed into the central storage piece of furniture for living rooms and bedrooms, gradually replacing the chest. During the Louis-Philippe era, this type of furniture was produced in larger quantities for the rising middle class: The design language was reduced to clear body shapes, beveled edges, and profiled finishes, while the visual effect was largely achieved through the choice of veneer. This was made possible by improved sawing techniques, which allowed for thinner and larger veneers. The chest of drawers stood in middle-class bedrooms and living rooms and served to store linens, textiles, and household items. Locks on all drawers were common, as the furniture also held valuables and documents.

Features: Concealed drawer in the lower section, which is not visually recognizable as a drawer behind the continuous plinth panel. The burl veneer is mirrored and runs across the three large drawer fronts as a continuous image.

Design: Louis-Philippe, French, circa 1850–1870. The construction follows a strictly horizontal layering principle: profiled top panel, inset drawer, framed drawer unit, and plinth. The front edges of the cabinet are chamfered and framed with narrow solid wood profiles, which maintains the cabinet's structure despite its width. Ornamentation appears only in one place: as a turned roundel around the keyhole of the top drawer. Handles have been completely omitted; the drawers are opened with the key.

Function: Formerly: Storage of linens and textiles in the bedroom or living room. Today: Used as a sideboard in the living room, as a hallway chest, or as storage furniture in the bedroom.

Dimensions: Height 105 cm × Width 129 cm × Depth 57 cm.

Material and condition: Walnut burl veneer on a solid wood carcass, solid wood profiles and base in walnut. The drawers are joined with dovetail joints. Five drawers: a top drawer with a frame, three large drawers, and a concealed base drawer at the bottom. The piece has been inspected, cleaned, and treated appropriately by a cabinetmaker; the surfaces have been refinished, the carcass structurally checked, and is stable and functional. There is a small filled area along a joint on the top panel, see photos. The recessed keyhole surround is missing on one drawer, see photos. The lock is functional and included. Age-related wear and patina are present and part of its historical character. See less