What is a brass handled cellarette?

A brass handled cellarette is a historic timber container built to hold wine bottles in dining rooms during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The side handles allowed servants to move the heavy containers when filled with bottles and ice. They appear in various timber forms, including octagonal boxes, oval vessels, and sarcophagus shapes. Many examples feature fitted metal liners to contain melting ice.

How were they used historically?

These pieces stood beneath sideboards or beside dining tables to keep wine accessible and cool during long meals. Servants placed ice inside the metal liners alongside the bottles. In later eras, owners repurposed many of these containers as planters or jardiniere stands for indoor foliage. This shift in function explains why some retain internal metal linings while others show dampness marks.

How do I date a cellarette?

Dating relies on timber choices, construction methods, and stylistic cues from periods like the Georgian or Regency eras. Earlier eighteenth-century pieces often use solid mahogany with restrained brass bands, while Regency versions favour sarcophagus shapes and bolder brass paw feet. Revival pieces from the early twentieth century mimic these earlier profiles but display different internal timber milling and modern screw fixings. Examining the interior construction helps separate original Georgian examples from later copies.

Can I use one as a planter?

Many of these pieces already function as plant stands or jardiniere vessels due to historical conversions and fitted metal liners. The existing metal linings often protect the underlying timber from moisture when holding potted plants. Care should be taken to use inner pots with saucers rather than filling the antique liner directly with loose soil and water. This preserves the internal metalwork and wood from accelerated corrosion.

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A brass handled cellarette is a timber wine cooler designed to hold bottles near the dining table, combining fine cabinetmaking with robust metalwork.

Pair of Exhibition Quality Whytock & Reid Cellerettes

1900 - 1920

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Pair of Exhibition Quality Whytock & Reid Cellerettes

From Georgian Antiques

£3,250

3+ MONTHS AGO

chests

18th century

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An 18thc Mahogany Irish Tantalus

From Blank Canvas Antiques

£2,800

3+ MONTHS AGO

glass

Regency Mahogany Sarcophagus Shaped Wine Cooler

19th century

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Regency Mahogany Sarcophagus Shaped Wine Cooler

From Georgian Antiques

£2,250

3+ MONTHS AGO

miscellaneous

George III Inlaid Mahogany Octagonal Wine Cooler

18th century

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George III Inlaid Mahogany Octagonal Wine Cooler

From Georgian Antiques

£1,750

3+ MONTHS AGO

miscellaneous

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Brass Handled Cellarette

Pair of Exhibition Quality Whytock & Reid Cellerettes

An 18thc Mahogany Irish Tantalus

Regency Mahogany Sarcophagus Shaped Wine Cooler

George III Inlaid Mahogany Octagonal Wine Cooler

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