Cupboard in Pine, Central Europe, 1900

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This antique cupboard in pine wood is a Central European rustic cabinet with a single door, a porcelain knob and … Read more This antique cupboard in pine wood is a Central European rustic cabinet with a single door, a porcelain knob and worn white paint. It originates from Central Europe, from the beginning of the twentieth century, when the white porcelain knob became general in service furniture.This is a working piece: a kitchen or larder cupboard, made from pine board and without ornament. Its interest lies in the economy of means and in the way use has stripped the paint back until it reads as a transparent layer.The case is solid pine with the stiles continued into short feet. A door of two framed panels closes onto a shelved interior, with a fluted white porcelain knob and an iron lever latch. The back is of vertical boards.The cream-white paint has worn very unevenly and leaves the wood exposed over broad areas, above all around the knob and along the edges. Beneath the white a pinkish tone shows in places, the trace of the priming coat.The result is a surface of warm tone, between bone and wood, with no hard contrast. The piece is shown as it has come down to us, without repaint or sealing.At 59 cm across the front and 86 high it works as a tall bedside table, a bathroom cabinet, a kitchen cupboard or an entrance-hall piece. Its pale tone and simplicity make it especially easy to place in Nordic and contemporary interiors. See less