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The Winter Palace Armoire |
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| Catalog#: |
Holiday 2002 |
| Category: |
Furniture - Non-American |
| SubType: |
Armoire/Wardrobe |
| Origin: |
Russia |
| Era: |
19th Century |
| Height: |
136-1/4 inches inches |
| Width: |
89-1/4 inches inches |
| Depth: |
35-1/2 inches inches |
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| Towering just over eleven feet high, this magnificent architectural armoire was specially created for the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, residence of Tsar Nicolas II, the last Russian Emperor. Masterfully crafted of carved Russian oak with incredible attention to detail, this majestic piece, along with the room for which it was built, took 14 craftsmen 26 years to complete. It is lavishly adorned with corinthian columns, stepped arches, winged putti, elaborate turrets and urns. Even the interior areas of the crown and the reverse of the armoire are finished with the same superior elements! When the column just left of the door is turned, a panel in the crown spins around to reveal a miniature stage. Secret compartments, a writing desk and numerous storage areas abound!
After the Russian Revolution, the armoire surfaced in the cargo of a freightship in Ghent, Belgium in 1935. The owner of the ship passed away, leaving unpaid harbor charges, which led to the sale of the cabinet in 1940 by customs officials. A Ghent import/export firm exhibited the cabinet during World War II, drawing large crowds to see the "famous Russian cabinet."
The Winter Palace, also home to The Hermitage, is the most famous building of Imperial St. Petersburg. The Hermitage was built in 1762 for Empress Catherine the Great and is today one of the world's finest museums. Circa 1895.
89-1/4" wide x 35-1/2" deep x 136-1/4" high
#28-3886
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