English 19th Century Pine Bamboo-Form Vitrine with Mirrored Door, Pediment Top and Base Drawer

A charming example of English Orientalist cabinet making, this 19th century pine vitrine takes the fashionable bamboo-form aesthetic — so beloved of the Victorian and Aesthetic Movement periods — and applies it with restraint and wit to a small display cabinet of considerable decorative usefulness. The triangular pediment top lends the piece architectural presence well above its compact scale, while the single mirrored door, when closed, doubles the room around it and, when opened, reveals two interior shelves suited to the display of miniature objects, scent bottles, porcelain figures, or jewelry.

The bamboo-inspired carved details on the pine frame are handled with a light touch, referencing the Eastern idiom without overwhelming the essential Englishness of the construction. The warm honey tone of the pine provides a sympathetic ground for the mirror's cool reflection, and a small drawer set into the base offers the practical storage that makes this piece as useful as it is beautiful. The overall effect — part curio cabinet, part decorative tour-de-force — is one of disciplined whimsy, a quality the Victorians elevated to an art.

An ideal piece for the bedroom, dressing room, study, or hallway, this vitrine suits interiors that embrace the layered and the storied. It may be used freestanding on a tabletop or credenza, or displayed as part of a collection of Aesthetic Movement or Chinoiserie objects. Dimensions: 10.75"W × 5.5"D × 21"H.

Place of Origin: English
Period: 19th Century
Dimensions: 10.75"W x 5.5" D x 21" H

Inventory Number: GA56
Location: JAA

Price: $ 495