Featured Apprentice piece or cabinet makers sample?

I bought this burl walnut chest of drawers a while back and always thought it was a apprentice piece but I'm now wondering if it's not a sample? The reason is the locks, all 4 are working and matching which is unusual but not unheard of and the size, it's 32cm high 40cm wide and 25cm deep, does that make it big for a apprentice piece?

 

After looking at the pictures I think I'm going to refinish it

 

Refinish it?!

Debora

 

It doesn't look bad in the flesh but in these photos you can see the last time someone French polished it they did a bad job. I need to do it anyway because the top is badly faded.

 

If it has any real value,refinishing might destroy that.I'd wait for a few experts to have a look at it first-preferably in person.

 

I had to convert to inches to get an idea of size. 40cm is right at 15 3/4" so this is really quite small. I don't quite see this as an apprentice piece, nor a sample. Would think an apprentice would work on something larger, as there is no real benefit to working small for practice. As for a sample, the lumber dimensions are not proportionally small enough compared to overall size. For example, I would expect a much thinner top with smaller edge profiles than what we see here. I think this is probably a collector's chest or maybe a gentleman's dresser-top organizer.

As for finish, it already looks to have been refinished at some point. While it doesn't look too bad, I do see some room for improvement. I don't see how you could hurt this by working on it.

 

Maybe its doll furniture. Not doll house,but for larger dolls. Its lovely,I wouldnt touch a thing but thats mostly because Im lazy.

 

Verybrad is right, it's already been refinished but I'm quite experienced in French polishing so it won't be a problem, the harder job will be matching the colour on the faded top.

 

Yes it's very small for a COD but rather large for a sample/apprentice piece. I know what you are saying ie table top/collectors chest but in this case it's an a exact copy of a COD, how the US and Europe describes antiques have often got me in trouble, it maybe called something else in your country but I'm sure you have samples and apprentice pieces don't you? I think this article explains it better than I could https://blog.thakehamfurniture.co.u... again a,craftsmanship was often less refined.

 

I'm lazy too that's why I didn't refinish when I already worked on it when I first got it. The top had detached from the body and it was curled up like a pringle crisp.

 

I'd leave it as is...with the work u already put into it......it's charming......and the faded part.....a mystery as to what was sitting on it !!!

 

Yeah I haven't a clue what was on it but it was rounded on one end and square on the other. I will tackle it one day but until then the faded top isn't viable where it lives so what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over

 

Like those dovetails.

 

In France these miniatures are called "meubles de maîtrise". Way too detailed for doll furniture and I don't believe in the sale's man sample story.
Your dresser is charming and really well made
I just acquired and received this one, 44,5 cm high x 28,5 cm x 14 cm:

 

Very very nice Does this copy a larger piece of French furniture? As I said to Verybrad, this salesman or apprentice piece debate is a well known one here in the UK, this article explains far better than I could
https://blog.thakehamfurniture.co.u... again a,craftsmanship was often less refined.

 

A beauty, kyra, love thewood and the detail.

 

Thanks for the link!
It copy other « secretaires » but I’ve yet seen none with the external and inside corners mirrors...

 

I really don't know enough about French furniture to say for certain but I suspect your French secretaire is a salesman's piece and made for that exact reason. It's very well made but one thing about the article I think they got wrong is that apprentice pieces weren't made well. In this period an apprentice would take their final exam after 7 years of training to become a cabinet maker, only at that stage were these pieces undertaken so the chance they didn't know what they were doing is slim. Also making a small piece of furniture is far harder than making a normal sized piece.