Posted 7 years ago
trunkman
(149 items)
Driving home and saw these furniture pieces strewn across the end of a driveway on g-day. Well nothing to lose so in the Saab hatchback they go. Had to take pieces from the bits to finish the bottom piece - a two part bureau French piece with Anthony and cleopatra carvings. Still some work to do on it but loads of fun! I know it's French as there was a small piece off French newspaper between the pieces... a ad depicting a lady doing the 'can can' of all things...
WOW-- looks too good to go to the trash. Glad you were able to save it.
Please update as you do more work on it!
scott
Thanks so much Scott - sometimes I just pick stuff up bf decide after if it's worth the trouble. Wish I could have saved the top section but, alas, too far gone which is why it was on the curb in the first place! Will update final transformation..,
Interesting. I wonder if you could post pictures of the inside of the doors? Looks like one large and two small doors in picture # 1
Actually there are two doors and two drawers with carvings... the drawers are really cool serpents. The backs are just flat wood no markings or anything. Made after 1900's... just wondering if anyone knows how they did those intricate carvings in the early 20's or 30's... I suppose they have a mechanized way of doing it.
I love it wow and glad you saved it . Post a photo when you get it back together :-)
I figured you wouldn't post the pictures. Those are not carvings on the doors. They are applied
Correct... pretty much all the carved pieces have been applied. So they carved then applied so I'm guessing they are carved mechanically?
BEAUTIFUL piece T-man!! It always amazes me at what some folks will toss out for garbage. Very nice find my friend! I'm looking very forward to seeing it after you work your magic on it.
I'm jealous, I haven't turned up anything this beautiful from my dumpster dives.....so far that is.
Great find and great save!
That is beautiful! I love it. You have the best luck! Can't wait to see finished version.
Thanks so much js, Karenoke and myoldkyhome appreciate the comments. Karenoke the universe is poised to gift you soon so keep on the lookout!
Thanks manikin and fhrj2r for the comments!
Mr. Dooley had just finished clearing room at his makeshift wood shop in the shed behind his garage. After years of thinking his cherished great grandmother's French bureau that he had inherited was forever lost, a distant (and unfavorable) cousin had given notice that "It will be on your driveway, all 32 pieces of it !" Sure enough, next morning, there it was ... barely unrecognizable, but Tom Dooley knew he could repair the beautiful piece ... despite his cousin completely destroying the top section. To add insult to injury, his cousin left a picture with a note "when you are finished fixing this, good luck my favorite cousin Tommy, frame this ad of Grandma to display over your cherished treasure !" Tom was devastated. But with a storm coming thru town, he quick made room for it. Only to find all of the pieces vanished while he was in the shed. His neighbor reported seeing a Saab? earlier, but Tom only recalled a man leaving the area on a bicycle holding two square carved pieces that apparently wouldn't fit in the tiny car.
Tom Dooley hung down his head and cried.... poor boy... felt like he was gonna die.
Unbeknownst to him however was a deep hidden truth that was about to be played out in an altogether incredulous unfolding of circumstance. The neighbour was only partially correct in his observation, as a black mysterious Saab did indeed come and take most of the pieces to a hidden workshop -- however a few remaining remnants were then picked up by the saab owner on his bicycle but only a few minutes later. When gathered together and assembled during the day in the hidden workshop a small slip of discoloured brown paper was discovered wedged behind a drawer board. It was a hand written note, barely legible. After a moderately successful attempt at deciphering the text, the Saab -bicycle owner felt a great euphoria of of discovery.... the text was a message... it said....
propriété de moulin rouge
? That would be the logical guess. But not so, this was a message far more mysterious and revealing.
As it turns out Tom's grandmother was a Cabaret dancer at Moulin Rogue in the year 1913. She had fallen in love with a dashing young English Intelligence officer just before the Great War broke out. This officer worked undercover as a cohort for the Kaiser and thus had privileged information that belonged to a powerful secret organization that he had recently discovered that may indeed change the course of the war. His contact with he British government had been compromised and he was called back to Germany in haste at the onset of hostilities... his only option was to pass on this information to his lover hoping to keep it safe until the time was right...
Your turn eye4beauty.