Victorian Furniture

Need some help identifying this cabinet

Started by Swigga · April 25, 2008 · 3 posts · 3 images

Hey i was wondering if anyone could give me some info on this piece i found in an estate.
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Attachment from “Need some help identifying this cabinet”
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Attachment from “Need some help identifying this cabinet”
Attachment from “Need some help identifying this cabinet”
It's a very funky and unusual piece for sure. The turnings are great and were all done on an ornamental lathe (not an ordinary lathe) - obvious from the spiral work and beading. There are several design elements/ styles going on from the Marquetry banding on the cabinet and extra wide doors, the Gothic arches on the corners, the turned, split & applied spool and bobbin egding on the scrolled shelves. There are at least a couple of different woods used (not counting the several species used in the Marquetry), some of the turnings are a tight, closed grained light colored wood - that looks like Maple, other turnings and the cabinet are made of an open grained, grainier wood (not sure what kind, but in places looks like it could be Rosewood? Not sure from pics.) I've never seen anything quite like it - I wonder if it's not a one of a kind/ custom piece?    woodwright
Nothing helpful to suggest, other than to suggest a possible English origin.  I could well be wrong, but it seems in the same mode as some of the work of Collinson & Lock (1870-1897, when bought out by Gillows) and various contemporary English makers: contrasts of satinwood(?) and  rosewood, etc.; the accentuated sharpness of the turnings; eccentric Moorish arches; etc.  The acroteria (the "ears" above the cornice) and astragal bands look English, too.  The marquetry looks to me more English than American, too, and the eccentric form, with the forward canted corners hinting at English origin also.

Is the cornice oak? or just oddly grained rosewood? or something else?