Posted 5 years ago
muelle71
(1 item)
Can anyone identify this armoire? It has hand-cut dovetails in the drawers and hand-tool marks in the wood, which makes me think it might be pretty old. I believe it's made out of mahogany, with a waxed finish. I can't find any identifiers regarding who made it. It came from a 200-year old house in Annapolis, MD, and has been in that house through several owners. The closest I can find to anything that looks similar is a Louis XV armoire from France that has similar crown molding (rounded on the corners). I'd love to know more about it! Thanks!
A beauty ! is it a "take-down" with wedges ?
Forgive me, I’m new to this. What is a “take down”? How can I tell?
Respectful comments only, please.
Not sure how to take your last comment, unless my reputation precedes me. Many, if not most European armoires were put together with wooden pegs or wedges so they could be easily dissembled easily to move. Usually the sides will have projections that protrude thru the top with removable wedges as the starting point. After removing the top, the sides & back will lift out (maybe wedges under as well), & voila, it's taken apart.
Wedges aren't just a European characteristic.
It is common on larger American pieces as well.
scott
I've never dealt with Amer. armoires.
That last comment wasn’t directed toward you, I deleted a disrespectful comment after yours. Thank you for the information, I appreciate the explanation. It does come apart! I see on the inside that the top can be removed. Anything else I should look for?
My photos are sideways, but I just added a picture of the mechanism that allows the top to be removed, as well as a photo of the dovetails on the drawers. Hopefully that helps!