Antique Drink Storage Box
These antique drink storage box pieces are traditional wine coolers and cellarettes designed to keep bottles cool and secure in mahogany and walnut.
Antique Drink Storage Box
An antique drink storage box takes the form of a cellarette, wine cooler, or storage chest, built to hold wine bottles in dining rooms. These containers date from the Georgian, Regency, and Edwardian periods, reflecting the formal dining customs of past centuries.
You will most frequently meet mahogany examples on this page, often shaped as sarcophagi or rectangular chests with brass fittings. They range from eighteenth-century George III pieces to early twentieth-century interpretations.
How they were made
Cabinet makers constructed these pieces primarily from solid mahogany and walnut, frequently incorporating burr walnut veneers. They embellished the surfaces with boxwood inlay, satinwood inlay, and intricate marquetry.
Internal linings often utilised zinc to hold ice and water for chilling wine, while exterior construction incorporated brass handles, feet, and bands for strength and decoration.
Some nineteenth-century makers secretly lined their drink boxes with lead instead of zinc, turning every dinner party into a quiet game of chemical roulette.
What varies in quality
Quality rests in the selection of timber veneers and the precision of the inlay work, where burr walnut and satinwood demonstrate greater artisan skill than plain surfaces. Exhibition pieces display finer proportions and superior brass mountings.
The sophistication of the internal zinc lining and the integrity of the original boxwood stringing separate standard utility pieces from high-status cabinet making.
Gillows of Lancaster and London·Whytock and Reid
The Antique Drink Storage Box Glossary
- Cellarette
- A lockable container or chest designed to hold bottles of wine beneath the dining room sideboard. These boxes kept valuable vintages secure from household staff.
- Sarcophagus
- A monumental coffin-shaped style popular during the Regency period for wine coolers. The sloping sides and heavy feet mimic classical stone tombs.
- Marquetry
- Decorative patterns formed by fitting together thin slices of various coloured woods and veneers. This technique creates complex pictorial or geometric designs on the lid.
- Zinc lining
- A protective metal interior inserted into wine coolers to hold ice and water safely without rotting the surrounding mahogany structure.
Antique Drink Storage Box: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an antique drink storage box used for?
These boxes served as portable cellars in the dining room, holding multiple wine bottles at the ready for meals. They allowed hosts to serve guests without constantly sending servants down to the main cellar.
Inside, compartments separated the bottles, and some versions held ice to keep the wine chilled. Today, they function well as side tables or log holders while retaining their traditional character.
How do I tell a Georgian piece from a Regency one?
Georgian pieces, particularly from the George III era, tend to feature straight lines, square proportions, and subtle mahogany grain. They rely on understated elegance and fine boxwood stringing.
Regency examples often adopt the sarcophagus shape with curved, classical lines, heavy brass paw feet, and bolder mountings. The influence shifted from straight-edged cabinetry to heavier, archaeological motifs.
Did these boxes always have metal linings?
Many wine coolers and cellarettes included zinc linings to contain melting ice and condensation used for cooling bottles. Not every storage chest required this, as some were simply meant for secure dry storage.
When a metal liner is present, it shows the piece was specifically designed as a cooler rather than a general bottle locker.
How do I fit an antique cellarette into a modern room?
A cellarette works exceptionally well as a low side table beside a sofa or armchair, providing hidden storage for books or blankets. The flat top surface accommodates a lamp or decorative objects.
Because they are made from rich mahogany and walnut, they add warmth and texture to contemporary spaces while serving a practical purpose.