Featured Wardrobe/cupboard, need help with id

Anyone out there with knowledge about the the origins and value of a piece like this?

60 inches tall, 40 wide, 13 deep.

Purchased in SoCal from niece who inherited it from antique dealer uncle.
Includes key.

 

I'm thinking ca. 1890. Love the "cottage-style" painting. Could have been made in any number of shops across the country.

 

Welcome, Harry!
Could we see photos of some construction details, please?

 

I am not getting and old American vibe from this. Could be old Mexican or a more modern import. As stated in the other thread, I don't think the paint original. Can we see drawer constuction and hardware?

 

Here are some more detailed photos. I'm not able to pull the piece out at this time to see the back, however the back is similar to the top in terms of construction.

Seems plausible that the paint is not original. I'm curious if anyone recognizes the specific motifs, paint color, etc.

I'm not sure what would classify as a 'modern import' but I would be surprised if this piece is not actually quite old. It's definitely seen some repairs over the years (some, not so great) but it appears to be not new.

 

I'm no expert but it looks European to me...Google "Swedish folk art armoire", though there is a tradition in Bavaria and Northern France / Belgium too. The cabinet itself has got to be old with those repair details, but the handles...I'm not so sure, could be contemporary replacements, but hard to tell from an image. Bear in mind the decoration could also be more recent than the construction of the cabinet - again hard to tell without seeing it in person. You need to look at whether the wear on the paint work is consistent with the wear on the wood itself. If that makes sense

 

...and bear in mind also that these are called 'folk art' cabinets for a reason. Oftentimes it's not a very skilled person doing the painting, oftentimes just the lady of the house who may or may not be a gifted artiste. Variations in quality of the designs is all part of the fun and you may never identify the exact origin because they would be quite individual to a household.

I'll also add another note on the construction - I live in France and this is absolutely consistent with the construction of French armoires and other cabinetry of the mid 19th century. If I were to guess I'd say this is an older European piece which has possibly been (re)painted about 1900 and has had the handles replaced at some point. Just a feeling.

 

Thanks for the input @KylieS! It reminds me of Swedish furniture, which is why I bought it actually.
I agree the paint seems not to be original, you can almost see the pattern of a flower as if embossed, beneath what’s visible. This is apparent in the last photo that shows the top corner.

 

Ah yes I see that under layer now! I think you are right there...I was just going on the washiness of the paint work which is not at all typical and looks more modern than it should. I think it is an old cabinet which has been 'refreshed' at some point. (I can see now that the lock has been replaced at some point too, so maybe the handles were dealt with then.)

 

Seeing the new photos, the construction looks like it could be Indonesian. And I have exactly the same star shaped door pulls and exactly the same key on my ca 1990 Javanese "Colonial" display cabinet.

As I said in the other thread, the decoration is too 'amateur' to be German. That goes for any other European as well imo.

 

@Any Jewelry interesting! I think you may be right. The curved door panels and beaded detailing at the top resemble this Javanese piece I found with a quick google search.

I have a small broken off piece of one of the legs that I thought looked to be Mahogany, teak makes sense though.

haven’t found any images of a painted piece like this.

I wonder if the piece has any value on the market here in Southern California?

 

The design is based on Dutch armoires. Indonesia used to be a Dutch colony, and from the 17th century on, colonials used to commision Javanese and Madurese furniture makers to make Dutch style furniture.
The tradition continues to this day, and it is often mixed with old Javanese and Madurese designs and colour schemes.
Looking at your cupboard, I think it could have been made by a family, with the younger members doing the decoration.

 

Even more Indonesian influence on a colonial style piece, my miniature cabinet from Madura, Indonesia. The shape is based on a Dutch "toogkast", but the carved birds and the colour scheme are very Madurese.
Madura is an island group north of East Java and Bali.
Seller's pic:

 

Very cool. So my piece may be Indonesian Dutch Colonial. As for the paint and given it was purchased by an antiques dealer in the US… resembles Pennsylvania Dutch folk art to me

 

Colonial style, rather than colonial period. Late 20th century, imo.

A bit too laissez-faire to me. Pennsylvania Dutch painting is more precise.
The Pennsylvania Dutch are of German, Alsatian, and Swiss descent btw, not Dutch.
The name Dutch in Pennsylvania Dutch is a corruption of the German word Deutsch, for German.

 

I suspect this was decorated in the US. Whether to deceive or as a decorative piece, hard to say. Antique dealers run across all kinds of things in their travels and are not immune to picking up pieces they like and can use regardless of provenance. I would not assume this is antique just because an antique dealer had it.