Beautiful early 18thC Louis XIV small cherry armoire. .
This is a really 'mignon' (cute) piece dating from c.1720. It is only 6 feet tall, coming from the attic room of an 18thC merchants house bordering the River Vilaine in Brittany. Goods were hauled up into this room from barges below (salt principally). There were also the remains of the merchants desk, shelves, huge scales and this ancient armoire seemingly used to store records. It had been in use for around 200 years until road freight took over in the second quarter of the 20thC. It is made of warm cherry with a durable chestnut back. Originally made without a cornice, one was added to make it more imposing in the late 19thC. Small armoires are scarce and ideal for low ceiling bedrooms and modern houses. As photographs cannot convey scale, you'll just have to stand in front of it to appreciate just how 'mignon' it is.
Measures 180 cm tall x 130 cm across including cornice