Featured Some thoughts on a Wardrobe Cabinet

My wife and I will pick up pieces every now and then, as room permits in our not so spacious house, refinish them, then give them away to a family member or keep them.

She came across a wardrobe cabinet and when we got it home, it seems to have some unusually features combined into one piece. We are more interested in a glimpse into the making, origin, and possible age of the piece versus any value, as this one will not depart our house. We are by no means experts on furniture and wood, just 'weekend warriors'.

1. Overview:
Height: 80 1/2 inches
Width: 48 inches
Depth: 27 1/4

Wood appears to be plane sawn white oak. Wood type looks consistent throughout the piece. It is finished on all sides to include rear and bottom of the piece. Finish might be a shellac, giving it a slight reddish appearance. There are no furniture maker's branding or numbers that can be seen. No nails or screws were used in its construction. The only metal present is the door hardware.
Top view:


Bottom View:


The wardrobe is in tight space and its hard to get it one shot. It looks like it was finished with a scorp versus a plane.

2. Doors:
Doors are not a raised panel, but more so a carved relief out of a single piece


Door hinging is a bit different. This is a view of the bottom of the hinge looking downward. The doors have wood pegs that sit in a hole with a half circle cut out for the door to swing:


3. Door Hardware:
Pulls are made of ferrous metal and are slightly inconsistent in size and shape. The metal looks like it was extruded given the consistent diameter. They don't appear to be machine made with these inconsistencies and could be handmade (maybe a mandrel was used to shape them). Really don't see any tool marks or strikes on the metal. They could be there, we just have examined it close enough.
One other odd thing, there are no visible wear marks from where the pulls make contact with the would. I would think there would be some over time.



Rings do not lay flat


Pulls are secured on the back side of the door with a 'cotter pin' style


4. Joints:
Joints are obviously mortise and tenon joints with wood pegs. Cannot see any of type of adhesive in or around the joints (not that would be necessary with joints that are cut well). All the tenons vary in size slightly indicating they were hand cut and not machined.



The wood pegs do not appear to be machined either as all are slightly out of round, but fit well


5. Drawers:
Drawers are simple box style with dovetail joints. The dovetails are well fitted, but are inconsistent in size and overall shape indicating they were hand cut and a jig was not used.


The pulls on the drawers are similar to the ones on the doors.


6. Inside:
Inside 'panels' are fitted with a chamfered edge


One thing I found interesting is one panel looks like it has a cut out for a strap hinge, but it doesn't look like anything was ever put into place. Don't see any holes where something might have been secured there


Overview of inside of the back (top):


Hole cut in back is because it was probably used to hold electronics.

View of top:
Top of the cabinet has cross cut marks. Maybe from milling


It almost appears to be built by someone who knew how to build houses versus furniture. The use of the pegged mortise tenon joints (not cut flush), a scorp to finish the piece and the doors being carved instead of raised panel. The dovetails would be normal furniture construction and overall are well fitted. That's all just a guess..

Any feedback on suspected origin, construction and age would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Hmm, looks like some pictures aren't posting correctly. Let me see if I can fix those.

 

Can't help with the furniture, but wanted to give a nod to "Rush 2112"

 

Huge Rush fan here (if that wasn't obvious ) Sure do miss Neil...

 

Likewise on both. I just watched an excellent interview that I hadn't seen before with Geddy...pre Neil's death. In case you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching. Search YouTube for Geddy Lee Dan Rather

 

I'll definitely check it out... Thanks for the info.

 

Welcome, rush. Excellent first post, and perfect photos and descriptions. It will help the furniture people to know in which part of the world you are.

 

Yep, good point there! We live in north eastern Ohio and the piece was also purchased here. Tried to be descriptive, but managed to leave that out

The only backstory we have to the piece is it sat in a home built in 1920 and was used as a rental property for many years. Due to the damage of the home from renters, it was sold, and a young couple is currently remodeling it for their residence.

 

Interesting.
Guesses hand-built by a trained skilled woodworker, a finish carpenter perhaps?
Guesses early 20th C, perhaps to mimic the style of Mission furniture popularized by Stickley, among others.
The exposed tenons, the forged iron hardware, the wood pegs/pins are cut with a knife as opposed to machined perfectly round dowels.
The solid door could have been shaped/carved with a router.

 

We do live in an area that has a significant Amish population (probably since the early to mid 1800s). Could be a possible origin of the piece?

 

Almost anything is possible when it comes to men messing around with wood!

 

LOL... so true

 

On the cut-out for the strap hinge, perhaps got a bit over his skis with the mission/arts & craft design OR having too much fun with his router!
I bet it weighs a TON! with those solid doors.

 

Taking a closer look at the cut out. Two things I didn't notice. It looks like tool marks in the bottom of the cut out, probably a chisel there. Also, it looks like there are a couple of pegs there too.


The thing is a beast. It's built using boards close to 1x thickness, no paneling. My son and I moved it and if I had to guess, it's probably near 200lbs if not a bit more.
I say often say jokingly, my wife buys furniture to get rid of me and this one is a good example

 

WHAT'S NOT to LOVE about it!!!!! AND thanks for a GREAT description!! ALSO, WELCOME to ANTIQUERS!!!!

 

I am no expert so please know this is just my opinion but I would think that there were any Amish influence the finishing would be much finer. I don't think any Amish would leave the marks that are showing on the center panel of the right hand door and it does look intentional. Even cut out under the strap hinges would most likely be smoother.

But like I said, JMHO

 

Looks like Mahogany, the pins look like Bamboo , my thought is it is a newer import piece , but I may be way out in left field here ....but that is my first impression.

@James Conrad ?

 

Impossible to say with photos provided but it doesn't look like oak from here.

 

This is a modern import of, so called, plantation mahogany. Indonesia or India would be my bets as to origin.