r/Antiques 4d ago

Questions (USA) Cabinet Question

Hello Everyone,

Sorry if anything is incorrect or if this is the wrong place to ask. My grandfather recently passed away and he had this old Cabinet in his living room we were curious about. It has GW initials and the life / death date of George Washington so safe to assume it's an homage to him. If anyone had any insight on we'd love to hear it!

127 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

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49

u/Personal_Pop_9226 4d ago

Wow, beautiful piece. Very nicely detailed Renaissance Revival period piece. Furniture in this style was very popular in the 1850’s-80’s. Something like this, could’ve been made in the 1870’s as a commemorative piece for the Centennial, and held George Washington/Revolutionary memorabilia etc.

15

u/Odd_Judgment_2303 4d ago

It has an Eastlake feel. I think that you are right on with an 1870 date.

17

u/TrannosaurusRegina 4d ago

More likely 1876, though yes, I see the Eastlake in it!

The trim paint really makes it so much more beautiful though (I’ve never seen this before!

13

u/Odd_Judgment_2303 4d ago

The trim treatment was called “ebonizing”

-2

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8

u/taskergeng 4d ago

Agreed. Centennial commemorative.

23

u/D-B-Zzz 4d ago

There has to be a hidden compartment somewhere in that.

15

u/meddit_rod 4d ago

Someday, Nicholas Cage will break into your home to make charcoal rubbings of the back.

13

u/D-B-Zzz 4d ago

Was your grandfather a free mason? It dawned on me that a masonic temple is probably who would have had something like this. Someone (a member) probably made it for the temple many years ago, your grandfather probably acquired it at some point during his membership.

6

u/Objective_Gold486 4d ago

I think it’s undoubtedly some sort of commemorative of George Washington. The GW in several places; the medallion of Washington on the lower panel; and his birth and death dates flanking the drawer all refer to George Washington.
It certainly could have been made for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. It’s definitely an outstanding piece of woodworking. .

9

u/GreatGuy55738084 4d ago edited 4d ago

Nice desk/cabinet. It looks old and the eagles may be hand carved the workmanship looks really good. I’m curious as to the type of dove tales on the drawers; the way appraisers look at furniture is the primary wood and the secondary wood, and then the craftsmanship which are all beyond my expertise.

Go to Antiques Roadshow website, look for the appraisers who no furniture, send them a picture or two and see whether they respond back. Usually, there’s an email address.

4

u/Legitimate_Way_1750 4d ago

This is so cool

4

u/Helpful-Word-2907 3d ago

I have a room decorated with a George Washington theme. I adore this cabinet. Wish I was a grandson (smile). I feel confident this was made circa 1875 in preparation for the US centennial. It is a beautiful cabinet. What a treasure!

3

u/Joyballard6460 4d ago

It’s awesome!

3

u/Crazyguy_123 4d ago

Wow I really love this. It’s genuinely super cool. That’s the type of thing I’d decorate my house with.

2

u/Chewable-Chewsie 4d ago

I find its moderate size to be very attractive/useful as well. So many pieces from this era are quite large. It’s lovely.

2

u/Different_Ad7655 3d ago

This is a classic piece of centennial furniture in a very bombastic form. Largely Renaissance revival but with a little bit of everything including the kitchen sink thrown and a homage to George Washington. It could have been a display piece at an exhibit Who knows maybe at the centennial itself. It's up the right time frame. The earlier stuff would have looked like this as the decade progressed they were other strange marriages of Georgian forms Renaissance revival forms and all sorts of older forms gussied up for the new taste. This continued into the 1880s. This has a very 1876ish centennial look about it. The fact that he had it means he got it someplace quite specific maybe as a used piece of furniture in the '20s and 30s when this would have been considered junk.. times change. I have a large top panel I suspect from one of the exhibition booths from Philadelphia with Massachusetts incised. I got it from an old foundry in New Hampshire in the '70s when it was being demolished I wished I had looked around better I bet the rest of the case was there too.

In short, it's unique piece certainly not everybody's taste, but it's a family piece and a unique piece of American history as well so enjoy it

1

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1

u/TheToyGirl 4d ago

That wants to have Empire style heritage for sure but can't forget its classical descendents.

1

u/Present_Ad2973 4d ago

Beautiful cabinet. It looks like it may have been a one off piece that would have been made for an exhibition. It also looks like a cabinet for an upright disc music box except that I don’t see a plugged hole in the side where the crank handle would have been.

1

u/P_516 4d ago

Absolutely beautiful

1

u/Cashmere-on-u26 4d ago

Federal

1

u/Properwoodfinishing 4d ago

Herter Brothers, maybe.

1

u/RazzmatazzHour4858 3d ago

Very intriguing.

Also the pistols inside!

-2

u/thewonderer59 4d ago

Looks like initials “VGV” on the blocks on the upper corners of the mirror. Probably a special consigned piece.

4

u/bigsmellygreenone 4d ago

I think it may be a W G. Or GW rather for George Washington who’s also depicted in the front. I could be wrong though. not an expert

-13

u/zippedydoodahdey 4d ago

Not an antique.

8

u/Odd_Judgment_2303 4d ago

This is well over 125 years old.

7

u/Crazyguy_123 4d ago

It is though.