English Victorian period vitrine-cabinet

English Victorian period vitrine-cabinet
English, late 19th Century
Height 214cm, width 99cm, depth 44cm
 
This antique display cabinet, or vitrine, is an exquisite piece of furniture: dating from the late Victorian period in England, the cabinet is beautifully built from the finest mahogany, and features exquisitely inlaid marquetry decoration all over its surface. It offers a number of options for storage: a lower shelf, two cupboards above and, above that, a glass-fronted display cabinet with four shelves. The cupboard doors feature fine marquetry panels on their fronts, each depicting a vase with flowers and foliage around. The legs and sides of the cabinet are also inlaid with marquetry designs: the design on the four tapered legs shows ribbons and flowers. Above the cupboards the glass doors of the display cabinet are mounted with mahogany rods in the shape of a star inside an oval. At the top of the doors there is a further marquetry panel with a scrolling foliate design, and the very top of the piece features a carved scrolling pediment. This cabinet is a classic example of understated, elegant Victorian-era design.