Library Cabinet, Napoleon III Period, France 19th century

Library Cabinet, Napoleon III Period

This impressive library cabinet dates back to the second half of the 19th century. It derives from France and has an exquisite mahogany veneer. It has a total of three doors with six shelves. Hexagonal columns embellish the corner of the cabinet. And a beautiful moulded decor is the special feature of the conic base, the plinth and the parts between the doors. This would be the perfect cabinet for any home office or living room.

History of library cabinets or bookcase

Initially small boxes or chests were the preferred storage furniture pieces for manuscripts. Later on they were stored on shelves or in cupboards. These cupboards are the predecessors of today’s bookcases.

After the invention of book printing, more people had access to books and the storage of them was more important. The practice to write the title on the spine and shelve books with the spine outwards only became common in these times. This was possible because the books were now in the form of a codex rather than a scroll.

The oldest bookcases in England are those in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, which were placed in position in the last year or two of the sixteenth century. This library holds one of the earliest extant examples of shelved galleries.

Details

The 19th century library cabinet is in good condition. It measures Height: 74.81 in. (190 cm), Width: 74.41 in. (189 cm), Depth: 16.93 in. (43 cm) and can be disassembled. Furthermore, the cabinet ships from Germany and includes shipping costs to Boston. 

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