ANTIQUE CHESTS OF DRAWERS

How do you recognize an antique dresser?

• Construction of an antique chest of drawers: An antique chest of drawers is made entirely of wood and manufactured using traditional joining techniques. Instead of modern fasteners such as screws or nails, wooden dowels, tenons or finger joints were used. Drawer boxes usually had the classic concealed joint. It is also worth taking a look at the back wall. Before 1850 in particular, it was made of solid wood and often shows hand-made traces.
  
  
• The decorations on antique chests of drawers are varied: they are adorned with artistic carvings, wood inlays and eye-catching fittings. In the Rococo period, for example, elaborate inlays such as floral patterns and bronze or fire-gilded fittings were typical for antique chests of drawers. In the Biedermeier period, lavish decorations were deliberately avoided in order to emphasize the chest of drawers itself and the natural beauty of the wood. Clearly defined lines and a shellac-polished surface that casts a wonderful shine over the striking grain.
  
  

When were such chests of drawers made?

The first antique chests of drawers were created in the Renaissance (16th century) as a compromise between the cupboard and the tried and tested chest. From its heyday in the magnificent Baroque period to the stylish Art Nouveau period (1900-1920), the chest of drawers underwent a fascinating transformation, always in line with the changing political and social trends of its time. Here are some characteristic features of different style periods:

• Renaissance:
  In this era, clear lines and artistic carvings characterize the chests of drawers, which literally look like small works of art.
  
  
• Baroque:
  Baroque chests of drawers are known for their powerful, opulent forms, which create magnificent, elaborately decorated representational objects.
  
  
• Rococo:
  Rococo is characterized by a dissolution of the heavy Baroque styles into playful and curved forms. Asymmetry is a striking feature of this period.
  
  
• Biedermeier:
  Clear lines, practicality and simple elegance characterize the Biedermeier chests of drawers, which exude a certain coziness. These antique chests of drawers are often made of fine walnut or cherry wood.
  
  
• Art Nouveau:
  Similar to the Baroque period, Art Nouveau chests of drawers feature decorations that are either incorporated into glass panes or as wooden structures in which, for example, floral elements are worked out.
  
  

What sizes and types of antique dressers are there?

Antique chests of drawers, timeless masterpieces in furniture design, came in a fascinating variety. From compact chests of drawers to elegant sideboards – with or without a mirror top – they told stories of bygone eras and were versatile storage solutions for a wide variety of rooms in the home.

• Antique chests of drawers with 2 to 4 drawers:
  These were typically quite compact and offered space for basic storage.
  
  
• Antique sideboards with and without mirror top:
  Sideboards were often wider and more spacious, some with a mirror top that served either for decorative purposes or was used as additional storage space.
  
  
• Antique sideboards:
  Larger dressers with an elongated shape, often placed in dining rooms to store dishes, cutlery or other items.
  
  
• Antique tall chests of drawers (Vertikos):
  Slimmer and taller chests of drawers that were often used in narrow rooms or hallways and offered vertical storage space.
  
  
• Antique washstands:
  Specially designed dressers with a wash basin or a place for a wash bowl and jug that were used in bedrooms or bathrooms.