The Historic District

Hi all, I picked this cabinet up in March at a going out of business sale at an antique store here in Vermont. I have no idea where I'm going to put it, but I just fell in love with it.

The whole thing is mirrored, and the skeleton key works. I figured it was a bar because where the shelf is cut off could be used for storing taller bottles. What do you think?

Gina, I would suggest it’s a eterge. Often referred to as whatnot. This is a bit of a chameleon in that it could fit into your dinning room, parlour, you fill it with nice things for display, often porcelain or pictures. The cupboard and the draw for extra storage. If you use it the dining room your sterling silverware can go in the draw and your fine Meissen or Minton porcelain on the shelf.

I second that it's an etagere. These were popular in the very late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kind of like a cross between a bookcase and a curio cabinet. Yours looks like it may be British.

I'd date it at about 1910.

Awesome, thank you! I was kind of hoping that it wasn't a bar because I'm not a drinker. :p

Why would the inside cabinet be mirrored, though? Maybe to reflect light onto the pretty things in there when you opened the door?

Maybe for glassware because it would reflect light off the mirror?

During that same era, a lot of mantels and pieces of furniture had mirrored backs. I believe the theory was the mirror gave the illusion of depth (i.e., more space).

To me, it looks like a gentleman's dresser converted into a bar. Is there evidence that someone has cut into it?

No, the only thing that looks tampered with are the inside shelves, as they do not look original.

Gina, I think 1918colonial has the date pegged pretty close. The glass on the inside as AWAH suggests is just to reflect a bit of light, it also gives the impression you have twice as much fine crystal.

the mirror doesn't look wavy or silvered glass the reflection isnt' distorted . that shelf doesn't seem to fit. I think a lot of whatever was on the front has gone missing. look at the rabbitt near the front edge to try to get an idea if it had a door that opened or drawers or something. i often see radio phonos that were converted to bars but that latch seems old. funny how the door has mitered corners. they aren't usually done that way because of wood shrinkage. I'm not sure of the purpose. why the little bars along the bottom edge? maybe it started life as a bar until it became a TV cabinet or something?