Gründerzeit Chest of Drawers in Elm Wood with Marble Top, 1880

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Description

This two-door commode with two drawers and a marble top dates from the Historicist period around 1880 and draws on … Read more This two-door commode with two drawers and a marble top dates from the Historicist period around 1880 and draws on the formal vocabulary of Louis XVI. The clear division into drawers and door panels, the side pilasters, and the centered rosettes create a calm, symmetrically balanced front. Historical Context: Low cabinets of this type served as sideboards in bourgeois dining rooms or kitchens during the 19th century. The marble top provided a heat- and moisture-resistant surface for placing food, drinks, and serving dishes. Drawers and a lockable base cabinet accommodated cutlery, linens, and dishes. During the Historicist period, workshops consciously revived the forms of earlier eras. Classical elements such as fluting and dentils were combined with contemporary craftsmanship and regionally available solid woods. Features: Each door panel features a carved rosette of concentric rings, framed by double-recessed moldings. Below the panels runs a dentil frieze, echoing the classical articulation of the front. Design: The design follows the Louis XVI revival of Historicism: straight lines, fluted corner pilasters, a profiled cornice beneath the marble top, and a continuous plinth. The turned ball feet and cast fittings with foliate ornamentation point to its late 19th-century origin. The proportions are broad, and the ornamentation is limited to a few symmetrically placed accents. Function: Formerly: a sideboard for the dining room or kitchen, for storing dishes, cutlery, and linens, as well as serving. Today: a sideboard in the dining or living area, a hallway chest, or storage furniture; the marble top is suitable as a surface for lamps, vessels, or bar accessories. Dimensions: Height 91 cm × Width 115 cm × Depth 60 cm. Material and Condition: Solid elm wood body, white marble top with gray veining, cast metal fittings. The base cabinet contains one shelf; the doors are lockable, and keys are included. It is in good condition, with age-related wear: fine scratches and small dents on the front and base, as well as patina on the fittings. An older repair is visible on one drawer side. The piece has been inspected and cleaned.
Up to 250V (Europe/UK Standard).The wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. See less