Two identical antique Biedermeier cupboards
North-East Germany
Poplar burl
Biedermeier, c. 1825
Dimensions: H x W x D: 166 x 107 x 55 cm each
Description:
An extremely rare pair of Biedermeier false front cabinets from the Berlin/Brandenburg area, circa 1825.
Standing on block feet, these pieces are designed in the style of a secretary desk, featuring suggested writing flaps and several drawer fronts that are merely decorative. The plinth sections project slightly and taper towards the rear in a hollow-chamfered crossbar. The upper sections of the cabinet, built upon these bases, are flanked by two free-standing columns with finely crafted Ionic capitals in wood-bronze. The pieces are crowned by Schinkel gables with dentil friezes beneath and round-arched galleries at the very top.
Particularly striking is the full-surface poplar burl veneer. The carefully selected veneer shimmers in a variety of honey-coloured brown tones and is laid in an almost perfectly symmetrical pattern. Nothing is intended to distract from the beauty of the wood, and so even the sparingly inserted keystones merely mark the central axis without drawing attention to themselves.
With its architectural design and perfect choice of veneer, this pair of pieces can be regarded as a prime example of Prussian furniture...
Category
German Biedermeier Antique 1820s Cabinets