Period Cellarette
A period cellarette is a dedicated bottle holder designed to keep wine close to the dining table.
Period Cellarette
A period cellarette serves as a traditional wine cooler, and buyers searching for this phrase encounter substantial timber receptacles dating from the Georgian, Regency, and Edwardian eras. These objects manifest primarily as sarcophagus-shaped boxes, octagonal coolers on stands, and oval brass-bound vessels designed to hold bottles during dinner service.
The selection on this page draws heavily from the Regency and George III periods, alongside nineteenth-century interpretations. Formats range from freestanding sarcophagus models with internal liners to sideboards and serving buffets configured for holding wine.
Materials and construction
Cabinet makers utilised dense native and exotic timbers, predominantly mahogany, flame mahogany, and satinwood, frequently accented with kingwood, boxwood, walnut, and pollard oak. These woods were selected for their grain pattern and stability.
Metal components played a structural and decorative role, featuring brass bands, handles, and paw feet. Many interiors incorporated lead or zinc linings designed to hold ice and water for chilling wine.
Period Cellarette Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for period cellarette among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature mahogany, satinwood, and pollard oak across Georgian and Regency periods.
Indicators of distinction
Quality rests upon the choice of timber veneer, such as richly figured flame mahogany or burr elm, paired with precise inlay and joinery. The presence of original internal lead or zinc liners influences the integrity of the piece.
Execution of decorative hardware, including cast brass banding and substantial paw feet, separates standard production from exceptional examples attributed to noted workshops like Gillows.
Gillows
The Period Cellarette Glossary
- Cellarette
- A lockable container used for storing and cooling wine bottles in a dining room. They sat beneath the sideboard or beside the dining table.
- Sarcophagus
- A box form with a sloping or domed lid, mimicking ancient stone coffins, popular for Regency wine coolers. This shape provided ample interior depth for bottles and ice.
- Flame mahogany
- Timber cut from the fork of the mahogany tree to create a distinctive flickering flame pattern. Cabinet makers used this veneer on prominent exterior surfaces.
- Brass-bound
- Furniture secured or decorated with overlapping bands of brass fastened with small pins. This technique strengthened stave-built oval or octagonal wine coolers.
- Lead liner
- A protective metal insert fitted inside the well of a wine cooler to hold ice and water. It protected the surrounding timber from moisture damage.
Period Cellarette: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a period cellarette?
A period cellarette is an antique container built to hold and chill wine bottles near the dining table. They originated when wine was brought up from cellars in bulk and decanted into smaller vessels for the meal.
Most examples date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, constructed from timbers like mahogany and fitted with metal liners for ice.
How were cellarettes used?
Servants filled the internal lead or zinc compartments with ice and water to chill wine during dinner parties. The containers sat on the floor or on stands beneath sideboards.
Because bottles were heavy and valuable, many cellarettes featured locks to secure the household wine supply between meals.
How do I identify a Regency wine cooler?
Regency wine coolers frequently adopt sarcophagus shapes with heavy paw feet, carved lion masks, and bold brass ring handles. The design reflects classical architectural influences popular in the early nineteenth century.
Timber choice also aids identification, with Regency pieces often displaying striking flame mahogany, burr elm, or pollard oak veneers.
Can I use an antique wine cooler today?
These pieces function well as side tables, log boxes, or decorative planters in modern living spaces. Their deep interiors make them practical for storing household items.
Original internal metal liners allow them to hold potted plants or ice for modern entertaining, provided the wood is protected from standing moisture.