Art Nouveau Oak Display Cabinet, 1900s

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Description

A narrow, three-sided glazed oak display cabinet, created around 1900 during the transition from historicist architectural styles to early Art … Read more A narrow, three-sided glazed oak display cabinet, created around 1900 during the transition from historicist architectural styles to early Art Nouveau. The emphatically vertical articulation, the uniformly framed glass body, and the ornamentation limited to the corner pilasters result in a formally cohesive and calmly proportioned piece of furniture. Historical Context: Display cabinets originated as a distinct type of furniture for the visible storage of objects not intended for daily use: porcelain, glassware, silverware, travel items, and collectibles. with the industrial availability of larger, flat panes of glass in the 19th century, fully glazed cabinet designs became technically and economically feasible, leading to the widespread use of this type in middle-class homes. It was primarily placed in the parlor or the main living room, the formal rooms of the home where possessions were displayed in an organized manner. Around 1900, increasingly narrow, low formats emerged, suited to the shrinking space of urban apartments and also used as secondary or collector's display cabinets. Similar narrow glass cabinets were also found in shop and exhibition spaces of the period. Features: Three-sided glazing with three inset glass shelves, allowing the interior to be viewed from the front and both sides. Carved, stylized bud motifs adorn the fluted corner pilasters, and a lock with a key is present.

Design: A transitional form between late Historicism and early Art Nouveau. The structure follows a clear scheme of a profiled base, a strictly framed glass body, and a slightly projecting top; the articulation is vertically emphasized and continuous without intermediate zones. The ornamentation is limited to the fluted corner pilasters with stylized bud motifs and remains subordinate to the surface. Structurally, the frame construction with narrow wooden cross-sections dominates, maximizing the glass area and giving the piece a light appearance despite its closed form.

Dimensions: Height 135 cm × Width 58 cm × Depth 47 cm. Material and condition: Oak, glass, lock with key, three glass shelves. Well preserved with age-related wear. The top panel has light stains and scratches, the glass shelves have a few marks, and the overall patina is even. It has been inspected, cleaned, treated appropriately, structurally checked, and is stable and fully functional. Decorative items shown in the images are not included in the sale. See less