Posted 4 years ago
getthatmon…
(676 items)
I had no idea where to put this piece of furniture, when i bought it.
After searching for similar pieces, I know a little more. It seems to be a late 18th century, fruitwood armoire from Lorraine with marquetry inlay . At the base are two drawers. This piece shows wonderful handcarved details and beautiful brass hinges and pulls.
I've found lots of wardrobes in this shape, but only a very few with marquetry inlays like this. Might be a little better in quality than the standard 18th centuty armoires?
I believe this piece is from the Lorraine Region, could be made around Strasbourg circa 1770?
Nice! My great grandfather was a furniture maker from Charlottenburg. I visited his home about 25 years ago, where one of his grandsons lived at the time, and in the upstairs bedroom was a huge armoire made by him that could not possibly have fit through the door or made it up the stairs in one piece. He must have assembled it in the room. He died in 1931 at the age of 90. It may still be sitting in that room. My cousin died in the early 2000s and I don't know if the house stayed in the family. It was a cement house and built about 1900 for my great grandfather, the first in the city.
Your great grandfather must have been a rich man, because Charlottenburg has been the place for the wealthy people at that time. I would love to see that armoire. German Armoires are normally build in a way to be assembled in the house, and re-assembled if necesarry. 20 years ago I used to live in south of France half of the year, at my former Professor's Chateaux. We found a very, very old trunk in the attic and tried to get it out of there. It was a beautiful piece from the late Middle Ages. Then we noticed that it must have been placed there, while the roof was renewed and the shape of the roof was renewed 200 years ago. That trunk is still there and hopefully will be still there for the next 1000 years. The oldest parts of my former professor's chateaux date back to the 11th century. The villagers say there is an old secref tunnel between the chateaux and the church in the village and there is a treasure hidden in that tunnel. We haven't found it.... Damn
Believe this is later than 18th century. Top piece is more indicative of empire style. Can you add a photo of the drawer joint?
The drawer handles and key hole brass are odd-- they cover an inlay detail. Maybe later additions?
scott
Hi Scott
I've changed the pics and hope it will help. It might be a later addition... Actually there are parts which look more rococo like the lover half of the door and parts where i don't know at all in which period to put them. I'm quite sure rhe armoire is 18th century, beside the front part with the wooden inlay which reminds of empire and the doors which have a more rococo look...
It is a strange piece.
Actually my great grandfather came from a working class family. His father was a coachman who was killed in a coach accident, probably run over by the coach or horses. My great grandfather stowed away on a ship around 1855 at the age of 14 to avoid being conscripted into the army. He arrived in New York in time to be conscripted into the US Army 1st Volunteer Sharpshooters at the beginning of our Civil War in 1861. I don't know how he learned to be a furniture maker. After the Civil War he worked as an upholsterer on railroad cars so may have learned furniture making then. I have the cast iron glue pot that he used when he worked for the railroad. He did become a rich man in the US, a merchant and landowner in Hannibal, Missouri.
Too bad about the treasure! I would love to see that chateaux....
My great grandfather did marry a Stengel girl whose ancestors were hereditary mayors of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch, though.