Antique Cabinet - Allmoge/Peasant design dated 1812

SKU: 1101
$9,500.00
$7,500.00
$7,500.00
On Sale
Unavailable
per item

Painted Allmoge design from Mora, Sweden. Beautiful bottom color with fun light floral design on top. Cabinet in 3 pieces. 4 doors, and 5 shelves. Paint is believed to be in original condition and wears signs of age in some minor scratches and paint chipping. 

History of Allmoge: 

Timber is widely available in the Scandinavian region and back in the day readable available to create new furniture and with paint it was transformed out of the more common -  the detailed paint finishes of the Swedish furniture have lasted through generations.  Many homes were dark through the long winters, and without electricity and candles provided the majority of the light.  Homes remained so dark that extra measures such as paint used on furniture and on the walls was almost a necessity to bring in any extra available light.

Painted pieces were not limited to just free standing furniture, but also included cupboards, built in shelving and dressers.  Painting furniture provided an appeal and allowed for variation than just wood furniture that decorated the home.  

 There are two different styles of antique Swedish painted furniture that developed in the country over the years.  One style was a “Rural Peasant Type/Allmoge” of decoration that flourished within the middle class, and another style referred to as "Gentlemanly" which was often found in the higher class grand homes.

Rural country peasant furniture is often referred to as folk furniture which is often distinguished by strong colors and a wealth of decoration.  Each distinct area would have specific colors – within the regions one wouldn't paint anything but their own distinct motifs which were passed down through generations.  Much of this resulted just from the inspiration in their local surroundings. 

The other style is referred to as "Gentlemanly" furniture, thus making the distinction between the peasant farms and gentleman estates.  This furniture was made for upper class grand homes, and castles than the wooden cabins and urban middle class homes.

This type of Scandinavian furniture is all together different in its use of paint, color, shape and function.  These classes of people were well educated and well travelled and were familiar with areas of high influence such as Paris and London. The styles of Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism were then repeated in their Scandinavian homes with the aesthetic remaining the same, but the overall design distinctly Scandinavian.

By the 18thcentury, soft colors grew in popularity. Yellow, blue and green were finished with layers of glazes and combined with gold leaf.  Upper class furniture had a restrained sense of color, typically simple with limited decoration.  The overall finish was sophisticated, formal and elegant, than fussy brightly painted country styles.