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FURNITURE STYLES . . . French Brittany * French Hunt * Henri II * Typical Dutch * Louis XVI * LouisXV...
FURNITURE STYLES . . . French Brittany * French Hunt * Henri II * Typical Dutch * Louis XVI * LouisXV...
Furniture examples and styles that you see here are all items Europa Antiques imports direct from estates in France, Belgium and the Netherlands to our store in Cambridge City, Indiana.
Typical Dutch Pillow Cabinet
Contrary to its name, a pillow cabinet is not for storing pillows - although it could be used for that if you wanted to! The Pillow Cabinet is a typical dutch piece of furniture found in many homes in the Netherlands, even to this day. According to the Dutch "Antiek Encylopedie", the second half of the 17th century saw the transformation of panel cabinets from the Renaissance to the Baroque periods. A "pillow cabinet" or kussenkast, is so named because the panels of the doors "puff out" like pillows. Older cabinets were edged with ebony. The moldings and legs of the cabinet are strongly profiled. Pillow cabinets were used for storage, usually kitchenware such as dishes, cutlery, glassware and table linens. But these sturdy cabinets can be used for just about anything, including storage of extra linens, or as a wardrobe, or as that extra space you may need to store sweaters and blankets. Think of the possibilities!
Brittany-Style Furniture
First off, you have to like ornately carved furniture to appreciate Brittany-style. It is not plain and by no means ordinary! The French province of Brittany, also known as Bretagne, was once an independent kingdom called Lesser Britain. Brittany is still recognized as one of the six Celtic nations in the world today. Drawing on the ornate and symbolic nature of Celtic Art, antique furniture produced in Brittany at the end of the 19th century was heavily carved and told a story through its symbolic carvings. The local economy in Brittany was heavily dependent on fishing and maritime activities, so you often find circles and ship’s wheels as a common decorative motif. A cupboard like this one was used in a dining hall or possibly a bedroom to store items such as linens or dishes. It was a time when the cupboard itself was on display, not the items inside it.
French Hunt Vaisselier
A vaisselier is a furniture form popular in 18th/19th century France, with open, shallow display shelves with railings over a buffet base. It comes from the French word "vaisselle" meaning dishes. This particular vaisselier’s furniture style is French Hunt.
French Hunt furniture was made in France during the mid to late 1800s. Oak was used primarily and pieces were intricately hand-carved with birds, fish, animals or harvest clusters on the doors and leaves, adorns, fruits an other items along the front edges as well as the top.
Vaisseliers like these are perfect for a living room or a bedroom or an entryway. It can become the focal point of any room while providing ample storage space. Show off a china collection, or use it as a bar. Such a fine piece of furniture is more versatile than you think!