Posted 12 years ago
Oldies1199
(12 items)
I found this interesting piece of furniture at a flea market in Warren, OH. The asking price was $10, I got it for $7. This piece is very unique and different. This is a smoking pipe cabinet with a swivel tray that holds ashtrays. Under that is two doors that open and have four spots that hold pipes. The only name or marking I could find was "A Bjork" when the swivel tray is opened. The swivel tray has lion knobs. The height of the cabinet is 2 ft 4 inches and 4 centimeters. The width of the top is 1 ft and 7 inches. I haven't seen anything quite like this before...
This cabinet is called a smoking stand or "smoker." Smoking stands were first popular around the turn of the century and then the popularity faded until the Depression. During the Depression of the 1930s many companies turned to the manufacture of small items to have something affordable to sell that people could afford to buy rather than entire sets of furniture. These items were called "novelties" and included things like magazine racks, hanging shelves, magazine and lamp tables and smoking stands.
This smoking stand seems to be from the mid 1930s. The wood on the front is mottled avodire veneer, an African wood. The top looks like walnut veneer. The lions head pulls are replacements and are not original to the piece.
Thanks Fred Taylor from AllExperts.com
I have one exactly like this but it has a bottom section that looks similar to envelope slots. Mine also has lion pulls .
I also own this cabinet. The lion head pulls are also existing on my piece. Are you sure they aren't originals as they seem 'built into' the piece.
I have the exact cabinet that somebody gave me in pieces. It was kind of rough so I had to sand it down and make my own veneer (Walnut) The lion head pulls are original. I am curious to when it was made.
I just bought the same cabinet with the lion pulls.id like to know what the value might be
Extremely popular in the mid 40's after the war, and I would think this more like 1947 when many were being made. The beautiful lion handles are borrowed from the regency period and pulls like this are still being made today. I bought some for my computer desk.