Antique Side Cabinets
10.25.09
SIDE CABINETS and credenzas
A Sheraton rosewood cabinet, only 3ft. high, with gilt enrichments to the pillars and mouldings and with a white marble top. The short tapered feet (en toupie) are of French origin and one can clearly see that in the 1820s the collar widened and the rest withered to give the familiar bun effect. A very rich piece in which the credenza shape is apparent.
Strictly speaking, all the following should fall under side cabinets, but the term credenza is generally used for a highly decorated, shaped antique cabinet, so it seems sensible to use it as well. A cynic might think that in designing a credenza the object was to strap, glue, carve, bolt, screw or paint as much decoration on the front as possible, bearing in mind that colour and texture contrast might be as loud as could be managed and that there should be as few straight lines as the ingenuity of the designer could contrive. This is clearly an exaggeration but in any event the market is more discriminating and the quality of workmanship has a strong influence on the price. Good quality metal work and a serpentine shape to the side doors of the cabinet are also important to value. Antique side cabinets start in the late 1850s and continue into the Edwardian period; fortunately however we stop at about 1880 so that the final designs do not concern us.
First, however we continue the development of the Regency cabinet, then move to the straight-fronted pieces before discussing the curved-end variety. c. 1800
A mahogany break-front side cabinet decorated with inlaid satinwood stringing and rosewood crossbanding. The front has a brass grill, decorated with small flowers at the intersections, backed by silk. Again pillars are used and the effect is very elegant. c. 1810
A rosewood side cabinet with a brass gallery to the marble top and delicately arched brass lattice work to the doors with a backing of silk. The decoration is restrained but the tight, well-carved scrolls and the fine oval beading are forms which coarsen with the following twenty years. c. 1815
A fine marquetry side cabinet richly decorated and well carved wherever possible. Plenty of good quality ormolu. The pillar effects also add to the feeling of opulence. c. 1855
An exceptional break-front cabinet in the French taste, decorated with ceramic plaques and very fine quality marquetry in a variety of exotic woods. Just look at the decoration of the turned pillars the whole piece oozes quality. If it carries the label of Wright and Mansfield, as it might well do, the price would be up to, or even over, the range shown.
Holland and Sons were another firm of standing who specialised in this type of work. c. 1865
A good boulle cabinet in which this very high quality work produces a rich red and gold colour. The use of a vaguely Eastern shape gives definite form and is more desirable than the usual oval design. c. 1850
A more common oval design but of high quality workmanship. Notice for example the well-finished ormolu faces. Not unlike a Lawford design of 1867.
Decorated with boulle work and pietre dure (a mosaic made up principally of hard stones inlaid, worked and polished) floral marquetry. It lacks serpentine sides and better quality decoration to get it right to the top, but it is nevertheless very desirable. c. 1860
A satinwood side cabinet with serpentine ends. The decoration on the pillars harks back to Regency. Satinwood finely inlaid on the door and the frieze. Not in the main line of credenza design. c. 1870
Floral painted Sevres panels certainly help to relieve the relatively simple decoration of this walnut credenza with tulipwood crossbanding and satinwood stringing, but they are perhaps a little too restrained for this type of object. c. 1870
Typical of the type advertised by Shoolbred at the time. The flecked satinwood and the Wedgwood plaque surrounded by delicate marquetry give this piece some style. Notice the widely spaced fluting on the pillars a later sign. c. 1875
A fairly typical simple floral marquetry and well-framed walnut side cabinet. Brass mounts are kept to a minimum, workmanship is excellent.c. 1850
A simpler side cabinet than the last. The metal work is down to four pieces (two in the middle and two at the sides). The decoration here relies entirely on a dark grained streak of burr walnut, carefully quartered, on the door and the Greek key on the frieze. c. 1850
The marquetry has now shrunk to the frieze and two pillars. The metal work is poor and the door fretted a sort of poor man’s marquetry, satinwood however helps and the top is marble. c. 1880
Large Wedgwood plaques and much metal work cannot compensate for the fact that this piece is ebonised. The market does not like black side cabinets.
Tags: 1820s, 1850s, boulle, cabinet, credenza, edwardian period, french origin, inlaid, mahogany, marble, marquetry, rosewood, rosewood cabinet, satinwood, Sheraton, side doors, walnut, Wedgwood