Late 18th Century / Early 19th Century Sycamore Linen Press

Late 18th Century / Early 19th Century antique linen press cupboard constructed from solid sycamore and of exceptional colour. The linen press of typical form with two panelled doors concealing five slides for clothes and linen in the upper section and an arrangement of two narrow and two wide drawers in the base. Many linen presses have long since lost their slides and been converted to hanging wardrobes so it is nice to find a piece like this in original condition. The press stands on shaped bracket feet and the colour and figure of the timber used throughout is exceptional. The use of sycamore in the solid like this is uncommon to say the least and it contrasts beautifully with the ebonised detailing used on the edges of the slides, around the cockbeaded drawer fronts and on the cupboard doors. Linen presses survive in large numbers from this period but it is very rare to find a piece that is as unusual as this one, the overall visual effect being very close to later Biedermeier designs in Scandinavia and central Europe which also favoured similar light timbers and clean lines.