Antique French Sideboard with Plate Rack and Spice Cabinet | Louis XV, 18th Century

• Structurally inspected
• Furniture ready for use

A kitchen that is truly used needs dishes within reach and in sight. Before wall cabinets, that space was occupied by a piece of furniture.

This antique French sideboard with a plate rack was made at the end of the 18th century, in fruitwood with burl panels, following the Louis XV provincial style. It is a *vaisselier*: a sideboard below, a plate rack above. It came from an antiques dealer.

The plate rack has rails to hold plates upright at three levels, and a shelf for cups below. In the center, there is a single-door spice cabinet with a carved flower and heart.

In the lower section, there are two drawers with iron drop handles and, between them, an inlaid star. Below, two burl wood doors with volute moldings are separated by a fixed upright carved with flowers and a heart. The apron descends in a scalloped shape to a central shell motif, and the piece rests on cabriole legs.

The hardware is wrought iron: long pin hinges with turned finials, cutout escutcheons, and latches on the drawers. It retains all its original keys, and all its locks are functional.

It measures 152 cm wide, 65 cm deep, and 202 cm high, and weighs 60 kg. It is delivered in two sections.

In a kitchen, with everyday tableware on the rack. In a dining room, as a main sideboard, with special occasion tableware. With a depth of 65 cm, it requires clear space in front to open the doors.

The back panel of the plate rack is not original; it was replaced before the piece arrived at our workshop. This is visible from the back, and we mention it here.

THREE DETAILS THAT DEFINE IT

→ The keys. All original, and all turn: doors, drawers, and the spice cabinet lock with the same iron they were made with.

→ The spice cabinet. A small cupboard in the middle of the rack for salt and spices, which were the most expensive items in the kitchen. It bears the same flower and heart as the lower upright.

→ The burl. The door and side panels show eyes and swirls that change patterns from one panel to the next.

RESTORED IN OUR WORKSHOP IN NAVALCARNERO, MADRID

In the workshop, the entire piece was cleaned, the structure of both sections was checked, and the wood was waxed.

Marks of use remain where they were: the dings and scuffs on the top, the wear on the edges. No color or stain has been applied. The locks function with their keys. Ready to be placed where it belongs.

Style: Provincial Louis XV, France
Material: Fruitwood; burl wood panels
Technique: Carving of scrolls, flowers, and hearts; star marquetry; mortise and tenon joinery with dowels
Finish: Waxed; no color intervention in the workshop
Hardware: Wrought iron: pintle hinges with turned finials, cutout escutcheons, bail handles with rosettes; original keys and locks, functional
Layout: Upper section with plate rack, bottom shelf, and central spice compartment with one door. Lower section with two drawers and two doors with an interior shelf
Dimensions: 152 cm (Width) × 65 cm (Depth) × 202 cm (Height)
Delivery: In two sections; assembly inside the home included in the price
Condition: Structure checked; locks functional; signs of use preserved; plate rack back not original
Period: Late 18th century

152 cm (Width) × 65 cm (Depth) × 202 cm (Height)
Delivered in two sections; assembly inside the home is included in the price.

Free shipping to the mainland. Delivered in two sections; the price includes assembly inside the home by our staff and removal of packaging.