Object Description
This is a large, rare, and impressive, antique French satinwood, tulip wood banded, parquetry inlaid and ormolu mounted compactum wardrobe, circa 1880 in date.
The central section has a pair of panelled cupboard doors superbly inlaid with diamond pattern parquetry decoration, opening to a central shelf above two internal jewellery drawers, above two half width drawers over three full width drawers.
Each side features a full length mirrored panelled door opening to cupboards with hanging space and a shoe drawer to the bottom of each.
All the interior parts of this increible wardrobe are lined with bird’s eye maple.
It features its original ormolu handles and has its original working locks and keys.
It is a truly beautiful and spacious wardrobe of incredible quality and finish.
Condition:
In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, French polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 220 x Width 222 x Depth 68
Dimensions in inches:
Height 7 foot, 3 inches x Width 7 foot, 3 inches x Depth 2 foot, 3 inches
Parquetry – is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquetry patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges.
The word derives from the Old French parchet , literally meaning “a small enclosed space”. Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684 as parquet de menuiserie to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.
Such parquets en lozange were noted by the Swedish architect Daniel Cronström at Versailles and at the Grand Trianon in 1693. Timber contrasting in color and grain, such as oak, walnut, cherry, lime, pine, maple etc. are sometimes employed; and in the more expensive kinds the tropical hardwoods are also used.
Satinwood
is a hard and durable wood with a satinlike sheen, much used in cabinetmaking, especially in marquetry. It comes from two tropical trees of the family Rutaceae (rue family). East Indian or Ceylon satinwood is the yellowish or dark-brown heartwood of Chloroxylon swietenia.
The lustrous, fine-grained, usually figured wood is used for furniture, cabinetwork, veneers, and backs of brushes. West Indian satinwood, sometimes called yellow wood, is considered superior. It is the golden yellow, lustrous, even-grained wood found in the Florida Keys and the West Indies.
It has long been valued for furniture. It is also used for musical instruments, veneers, and other purposes. Satinwood is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Birdseye Maple
occurs primarily in Sugar Maple and is a very hard wood with divergent grain structure caused by the presence of the Birdseyes.
In the days when all furniture was made essentially by hand, Birdseye Maple was used by only the most capable cabinetmakers. These artisans had developed the tools and skills to work and finish Birdseye Maple successfully. Antique furniture made out of Birdseye Maple is rare and beautiful.
The divergent grain that makes Birdseye Maple beautiful also makes it difficult to work. Early woodworking machines ran at low rpms and had only 2 knives per cutterhead. This often produced Birdseye surfaces that were chipped and torn. It took many hours of hand planing and scraping to get these surfaces to a high sheen.
This limited the use of Birdseye maple to projects whose value could justify the extra labour cost. Examples of this are fine furniture and musical instruments.
Our reference: A2329