Charles I Joined Oak Hanging Livery Cupboard

A rare survival of early 17th-century domestic furniture, this joined oak hanging livery cupboard is of characteristic Charles I form, the design both practical and ornamental. The front is composed of two doors of plain form with simple mouldings, flanking a fixed central panel. Each of these panels, along with the sides and the fixed sloping top board, is decorated with finely arranged pierced ventilation holes, set out in repeated diamond and lozenge motifs, serving both a functional purpose and creating a subtle geometric enrichment.
The cupboard was intended to store food and drink safely, and the pierced panels allowed for airflow whilst keeping out vermin. The sloped upper board also features this pierced patterning and is fixed in place, the joinery original throughout save for one small period patch repair. The sides retain their original wrought iron hanging straps, testifying to its intended use as a wall-hung livery cupboard rather than a floor-standing chest.
The form is extremely rare: David Knell records a related example (see English Country Furniture, p. 126, no. 132), while another is preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.