19th Century Country French Walnut Pannetiere ~ Breadbox

Description

19th Century Country French Walnut Pannetiere ~ Breadbox was considered essential to any well-appointed home back in the days before … more 19th Century Country French Walnut Pannetiere ~ Breadbox was considered essential to any well-appointed home back in the days before supermarkets and ordering groceries online! Every day the family would be obliged to produce their own bread from scratch, using the breadbox or petrin for preparation of the dough. Once the bread was baked, the semi-precious commodity ~ some say necessity ~ would be placed in a pannetiere such as this for safekeeping until needed for the noon and evening meals. The seriousness with which the French considered this entire procedure is indicated by the stout lock on the single door! The door is hung by an over-engineered steel barrel hinge, and only the back side is solid, made from pine planks while the remainder of the casework consists of multiple spindle rails, with larger spindles creating the corner posts. The bonnet above and apron below, plus the diminutive door are all rendered from sumptuous, solid walnut, with the crown and apron boldly contoured in definitively French scroll work, lavished with relief carvings depicting wildflowers, wheat, and a Romanesque urn. Pegged mortise & tenon joinery appears throughout the design, indicative of traditional handwork using techniques handed down from generation to generation, making such a splendid artifact a cherished family heirloom for centuries!
Circa 1870s
Measures 34.5H x 31.5W x 17D less