Featured Grandma's Cabinet, 19th century, early biedermeier?

Discussion in 'Furniture' started by opoe, Sep 13, 2017.

  1. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    So happy to have this family heirloom. Originally my grandma's then it went to my aunt and when she passed, I made sure I got it. Definitely old, 19th century but from what part of the 19th century?( do not know why my pictures get increasingly worse) 2017-07-26 22.23.16.jpg 2017-02-06 19.28.32.jpg 2017-02-06 20.55.23.jpg 2017-02-06 19.30.27.jpg 2017-02-06 19.35.23.jpg 2017-02-06 19.30.40.jpg 2017-02-06 19.33.49.jpg 2017-02-06 20.11.10.jpg 2017-02-06 20.22.47.jpg
    2017-02-06 19.28.02.jpg
     
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  2. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    Take your photo`s in natural light during the daytime.
     
  3. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    I started when there was still daylight, I blame fall and the days getting shorter...and my hardware, crappy cell phone camera... I'll try again in the morning.
     
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  4. Ghopper1924

    Ghopper1924 Well-Known Member

    I'm getting a mid-19th century vibe, 1840-1870.
     
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  5. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    I think 1870s-90s
    Possibly French.

    I have a cabinet with this type of shelving bracket. It is stamped France. Don't know if other countries used this method for shelves or not. I find it very clever and easy to change shelf heights.
    upload_2017-9-13_18-48-31.png
     
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  6. Mansons2005

    Mansons2005 Nasty by Nature, Curmudgeon by Choice


    Most of the built-in oak "hutches" in the circa 1900 bungalows and flats in Chicago use this system.
     
  7. verybrad

    verybrad Well-Known Member

    I like the 1870s or so dating. Doubt it is earlier. European. Any info on country history?
     
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  8. Ghopper1924

    Ghopper1924 Well-Known Member

    I've got an American cylinder desk and bookshelf unit with this system as well, ca. 1885 or so.
     
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  9. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    Do not know who owned it before my grandmother, could have been in the family for a longer time. But i think it is dutch or belgian, possibly northern french or even from the western part of germany, I think it stayed close to its origins. The style of this cabinet though is a bit more subdued than later dutch "biedermeier" pieces I have seen, which are more curvy, less straight lines and often infused with neo-styles, maybe those should not be called biedermeier, but when even antique stores do it, that only adds to my confusion..
    I think this one is a purer biedermeier example than my other so called biedermeier cabinets, therefore a bit older than those...and it is not machine made I think. Dovetails on the drawers are uneven.
    It's a cloudy day in the netherlands, a bit dark, hope I can make some better pictures...

    ...what kind of nuts are these? These were used to attach the upper part of the cabinet to the lower part.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Sep 14, 2017
    Ghopper1924 likes this.
  10. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Wing nuts or sometimes called Butterfly nuts.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2017
  11. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    but a very old version of those, they seem hand forged

    some slightly better pictures: 2017-02-07 10.13.02.jpg 2017-02-07 10.12.24.jpg 2017-02-07 10.14.40.jpg 2017-02-07 10.13.52.jpg 2017-02-07 10.14.30.jpg 2017-02-07 10.16.26.jpg 2017-02-07 10.23.13.jpg 2017-02-07 10.22.18.jpg
     
    James Conrad likes this.
  12. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Look up "rams's horn nuts" to see other examples of hand-forged nuts similar to yours. I have a couple around here somewhere (only reason I know the term).
     
  13. Ghopper1924

    Ghopper1924 Well-Known Member

    With these better photos I'm feelin' 1860.
     
    James Conrad likes this.
  14. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    Still does not tell me from what time they were in use. I like the term though...
     
  15. AJefferson

    AJefferson Well-Known Member

    I don't know about the furniture, but awesome room full of stuff!!:jawdrop:
     
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  16. PACKRAT

    PACKRAT Well-Known Member

    AnnPan should weigh in on this. The room looks like a candy store for antiquers. Love it all.
     
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  17. opoe

    opoe Well-Known Member

    All my rooms are like that...;)
    I am aiming for the most antique things per square meter ever...(as I have a very small appartment, but a huge basement luckily)
    Someone will be very lucky after I am gone, if my niece and nephews do not want any of it, assuming I survive my older sisters...Too many funerals lately, excuse my morbid thoughts...;)
     
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  18. Annpan

    Annpan Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

    Hi, only thing I can really add is that it looks more continental or even German than British. I am having fun playing with my auction buys from Sunday.
     
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