Old Cabinet from 1714 - HELP

[castelnaud]

Hello, I am the new owner of the piece below, I bought it from the owner who now lives in Calgary via Berlin. He inherited it from his aunt, and there is a family story attached to it (he wrote me three pages of provenance). However, the story only officially picks up in the 1900s; I've still got two centuries to work backwards. The vendor and I doubt that it is German (although his relatives come from there). Also, although it has the date "1714" painted on its front, it "feels" older than that. The door inserts are obviously new (1930s?), they appear to have been cut with a bandsaw.

So, I'm hoping that someone has seen something like this somewhere or can throw me a bone on ideas as to where it is from.


Shot with NIKON D80 at 2007-08-11


Shot with NIKON D80 at 2007-08-11


Shot with NIKON D80 at 2007-08-11

 

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[Tricia]

Did you get a legit evaluation or not?

 

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[castelnaud]

Did you get a legit evaluation or not?

Not yet. Not a lot of antique furniture experts in this part of the world... Still looking.

 

[Tricia]

Good luck with it.

 

[Ralphw]

make sure you look it over very carefully,,, these old pieces very often had secret compartments hidden by the maker.

false bottom drawers,,, cubbies behind drawers, etc


check out this

http://www.basic-antiques.com/furniture-secret-drawers.htm

 

[castelnaud]

make sure you look it over very carefully,,, these old pieces very often had secret compartments hidden by the maker.

false bottom drawers,,, cubbies behind drawers, etc


check out this

http://www.basic-antiques.com/furniture-secret-drawers.htm

MY GOODNESS! I think you should read this part of the provenance document:

"Unconfirmed rumour in the [DELETED] family has it that a letter by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was found in one of the two large drawers. Goethe lived from 1749 to 1832, so it is possible — but no trace of that mystical letter is to be found in the cabinet today."'

I should take a look, I think...

 

[Tricia]

Yeah, track down that letter if it exists and that would be excellent.

Maybe it's still among the papers and things of the family of the man you got the cabinet from.

 

[castelnaud]

Yeah, track down that letter if it exists and that would be excellent.

Maybe it's still among the papers and things of the family of the man you got the cabinet from.

I think it might still be in the cabinet... If it is, it's worth much, much more than the cabinet...