Looks like a very nice high end 1980's "Italian Provincial" piece. Might bring $200....maybe more....maybe less. Depends on where you are and how you choose to sell it.

Purchased in the late 1960's and it was a antique then.

I will go look and take more pictures.

I am puzzled because there is no indication of wear....and the hardware is not typical of an "antique". How about the hinges and the dovetailing on the drawer?

its been wrapped in a garage for years. No hinges I think it has some type of pin that the doors are on, one at the top and one at the bottom.

I think those metal fittings near the corners are to take it apart for moving. This was fairly common in Victorian and slightly later large pieces (wardrobes/armoires). I have had two with similar fastenings. Pretty sure that chicken wire is a retrofit, probably to replace mirrors.

I'm going to hazard a guess that this is a European or British wardrobe from 1910-1920 or so. I agree that the decorative hardware, especially the pulls on the drawers, doesn't seem consistent with the style, but that's coming from an American style perspective.

Perhaps one of our wood experts can identify the wood -- some kind of fruitwood? Light walnut? Blond mahogany?

If the cabinet is of European origin, the construction in the inside view looks very much pre-WWII to me. The way the chicken wire is fastened to the doors looks makeshift to me. Doesn't look consistent with the overall quality of construction. It makes me think the doors had different inserts originally.

Also, this type of lock with vertical rods is very common in European furniture. I haven't seen it in American pieces. This type of locks was used post-WWII too. I saw it in mid-century furnishings made in Eastern Europe (Czechoslovakia, Romania, East Germany, etc.) Probably was common in Western Europe too.

Also, if quality built furniture was cared for well and spent most of its life in the same place, it wouldn't show much wear even if it is over 50 yr old. It amazes me to see how often vintage furniture is badly worn and banged-up in my city in America.

You don't put chickenwire on wardrobe doors. It would let moths in. Maybe it was a bookcase or for linens; it would have been all shelves. Were there pie safes in Europe?

Casey

Lana, Americans have been much more mobile than Europeans and very few pieces of older furniture have spent most of their lives in one place! A new home often meant new furniture because the old pieces didn't fit or didn't work for some other reason. Thus older furnishings were handed down or sold off and began a slow descent into disrepair.

Casey, I have heard that kind of pin hinge on your doors referred to as a "French hinge."

Casey #2, Lana and I are both pretty sure the chicken wire is not original.

The innards look and sound very much like my old armoire (that I'm still waiting for y'all to properly ID for me!), although mine has adjustable shelf supports.

I suspect it had mirrors. That thing sure looks like an armoire.

Oh dear, Fori, I don't see the thread for your armoire. Can you post a picture? We may not be able to help, but we love looking!

Haha...it's old. I revisit the thread every so often when I move the thing. It is put together like Casey's with those round-headed bolt things and the doors on pins but the style is quite different. :)

I did move it recently and took photos. Maybe it's time for a revival....

Yes, please. We'd love to give our opinions on it!

Darn. The photos are missing from my original post. It's less interesting without them!