Vintage Art Deco Figured Walnut Cocktail Drinks Cabinet, c.1930

2257

A superb vintage Art Deco figured walnut cocktail drinks cabinet, circa 1930, combining the glamour of interwar entertaining with particularly attractive book-matched walnut veneers and an ingenious fitted interior.

The cabinet has a wonderfully architectural form, the exterior dominated by richly figured burr and figured walnut veneers displaying dramatic swirling grain patterns across the fall front and pair of lower cupboard doors. The veneers have been carefully arranged to create an almost symmetrical decorative composition, framed by contrasting walnut banding. The cabinet stands upon handsome carved cabriole-style feet, lending a slightly more traditional English influence to an otherwise distinctly Art Deco piece.

The upper section opens via a fall front to reveal the original mirrored cocktail preparation area. The mirrored serving surface and mirrored back dramatically increase the sense of depth and were designed to reflect glassware, decanters and bottles when illuminated. Particularly charming is the integrated period internal light, an archetypal feature of quality 1930s cocktail furniture and wonderfully evocative of the sophisticated entertaining culture of the Jazz Age.

Below, twin doors open to reveal a fitted interior divided into two sections. One side incorporates useful shelves for bottles, glasses and cocktail accessories, while the opposite side retains shaped timber fittings intended for the organised storage of drinks equipment and bottles.

Cocktail cabinets became highly fashionable during the 1920s and 1930s, when the cocktail party emerged as a symbol of modern metropolitan living. British furniture manufacturers embraced exotic veneers, mirrored interiors, concealed compartments and electric illumination, transforming what was essentially a drinks cupboard into a glamorous piece of theatre.

With its excellent figured walnut, mirrored preparation area and surviving fitted interior, this is a highly decorative example that would work equally well as a cocktail bar, drinks cabinet or statement Art Deco interior piece.

Dimensions

Height: 1115 mm / 111.5 cm / 43.90 inches
Width: 880 mm / 88 cm / 34.65 inches
Depth: 463 mm / 46.3 cm / 18.23 inches

Date: Circa 1930
Period: Art Deco / Interwar
Material: Figured & burr walnut, glass/mirror, brass and metal fittings
Stock Number: 2257

Key Features

The cabinet benefits from a particularly strong combination of original period details: richly figured walnut veneers, book-matched decorative fronts, fall-front cocktail compartment, mirrored preparation surface, mirrored back, fitted bottle and glass storage, integrated internal lighting, original-style metal handles and elegant carved feet.