What wood are they usually made from?

Mahogany, and by a wide margin. It appears in 344 of 522 titles, which makes this one of the most single-minded timbers in any furniture category on Sellingantiques. Oak comes next at 61 titles, taking in Arts and Crafts pieces and carved hall robes. Walnut, burr walnut, ash, satinwood and painted examples fill out the rest in smaller numbers.

How many doors do they normally have?

Three is the standard. The word "triple" appears in 152 titles, outnumbering doubles more than two to one, and a mahogany triple is the single commonest thing in the category. Doubles account for 67 titles and singles 31. The singles include tall narrow hall robes and the form some dealers call a sentry box.

What does compactum mean on a wardrobe?

It's a wardrobe fitted internally with sliding trays, drawers and a hanging compartment, developed to hold a whole gentleman's outfit in one carcase. The word turns up in 57 titles, with a further 29 described as combination wardrobes, where a chest of drawers or a press is built into part of the carcase. Together they're about one in six of everything here.

Are these actually from the Edwardian reign?

Not strictly. The dated field is dominated by the bare word "Edwardian", used in 376 listings, with only 106 carrying an actual year. Where years appear they gather on 1900 and the 1910s, thinning out into the 1890s, 1880s and 1920s. Treat the heading as roughly 1895-1915.

Can a large wardrobe be moved through a house?

Many were built with that in mind. Several pine and Arts and Crafts examples are described as knockdown, and one breakfront is advertised as breaking down into six sections. The three-door breakfront in particular was made to come apart into sections rather than travel whole.

Which ones sit at the top of the range?

Satinwood does, almost without exception. Only 25 titles mention it, and nearly all of them are in the upper reaches, including painted and chinoiserie pieces. Marquetry and hand-painted decoration behave the same way, each appearing in fewer than a dozen titles and clustering high. Breakfront and serpentine shaping, fitted interiors and a labelled retailer all push in the same direction.

Home > Wardrobes > Edwardian Wardrobes > Page 4

Antique Edwardian Wardrobes

76 items · page 4 of 5

← Page 4 of 5 →

A large freestanding bedroom cupboard of about 1895-1915, usually mahogany, built with one, two or three doors and a mirror in at least one of them, for hanging and storing clothes.