This antique corner cabinet is made in the Mediterranean folk tradition and dates from the 19th century. It is built to sit in a corner, with a shaped plinth, a projecting moulded top and a pair of panelled doors meeting at a raised central strip. The proportions echo a full-size country armoire, scaled down for a table, shelf or chest, or for use in a room corner.
Each door has two raised and fielded panels, and each panel carries a hammered metal rosette in a stylised star or flower form, fixed with small nails. A small iron ring pull with a toothed round backplate sits on the centre rail of each door. At the top and bottom of the door joint there are two carved, leaf-shaped wooden catches that turn to hold the doors closed. The doors hang on small hinges on the outer edges.
The wood is a warm medium brown with a darker, softly worn patina, particularly along the edges, corners and top, where the surface shows a little unevenness and some handling marks. The metal has aged to a dark, slightly rusty tone, which suits the age of the piece.
It works well in a corner of a kitchen, hallway or bedroom as a small storage cabinet for spices, keys, linens or small objects, or as a display cabinet for ceramics and curiosities.
