Summary:

• Item: Victorian Maple & Co. Wardrobe
• Circa: 1880
• Period: Victorian
• Retailer: Maple & Co. London
• Style: Aesthetic Movement
• Provenance: England, UK
• Wood: Olive Wood
• Classic Aesthetic movement styling
• Ornate shaped / floral carved detachable pelmet
• Elaborate moulded & carved door panels
• Central bow-front linen press & chest of drawers
• Three internal bow-fronted linen trays
• Five bow-fronted & chamfered drawers
• Two full-length bevel mirror doors
• Full-length hanging rails / hooks
• Internal wardrobe shelves
• Solid mahogany hand-dovetail drawer linings
• Original brass lever locks and latches, with working key
• Original top quality brass drawer handles
• Working locks & keys to door and drawer
• Moulded frame and plinth
• Original backboards
• Original plinth
• Exhibition quality – fantastic superior materials & construction
• Original polish & patination
• Dismantles into 5 sections – easy access into rooms
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy

Description:

This is an exhibition quality antique English large Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe, constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre, flanked by two full-length mirrored doors, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition.  This Victorian wardrobe was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London.  The Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe comprises an elaborate floral carved detachable pelmet, comprising an ornate central urn, flanked by scroll & feather ends and aesthetic geometric mouldings.  The carved pelmet rail runs the full length of the wardrobe.  Please note, the pelmet is detachable and can be removed, if the ceiling height in the room is too restrictive.  The central section of the Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe is constructed with two small bow-front doors, decorated with four fine floral carved panels, on a punch work background, set within a moulded frame.  The doors open to reveal three sliding mahogany-linen linen trays.  Below, is a bank of five graduated drawers, finished with chamfered drawer fronts which are constructed with solid mahogany hand-dovetail drawer linings.  The doors and drawer fronts retain the original top-quality solid brass handles, brass lever locks and a working key.  The central bow front section is flanked by two full length arch bevel mirror doors, which open to reveal a full-length hanging space.  The doors retain the original brass lockable stays on the inside.  The interior comprises a single storage shelf above a brass hanging rail, fitted with the original sliding brass hooks, with additional hanging hooks on the back wall.  The Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe is raised on its original moulded plinth and retains its original backboards.  The wardrobe dismantles into five sections (cornice, top, door and base), allowing easy access up the staircase into the bedroom.

This Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe boasts exquisite grain configuration to the olive wood.  The quality of the carvings is first class and the general construction of this armoire reflects the finest examples of Victorian craftmanship.  It is also very rate to find such large items made from olive wood (it was usually small tables or boxes) as this was a very expensive material.  This truly is an exhibition piece, used to demonstrate the finest quality of Maple & Co. furniture.  As the olive wood wardrobe retains its original patination, it boasts a lovely warm mellow colour.  This can only be achieved through age and the years of care and cleaning it has received.

This Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe is an excellent investment but also very practical for storage and would look superb in a variety of rooms, in either a traditional or contemporary setting.  This large wardrobe would certainly grace any home.  So don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.

History of Maple & Co. London:

Sir John Blundell Maple (1845-1903) was a furnishing storeowner, perhaps the most successful of all Victorian retail entrepreneurs. He achieved great wealth, became a politician, a horserace breeder and a member of the Prince of Wales’s set, and his emporium in 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, furnished everyone who was anyone in Victorian society.

Maple was born in 1845. His father, John Maple, had come from Horley, Surrey, where he had been apprenticed before opening a small shop there. John Maple senior moved to London, working first as a shop assistant, and then moving to Tottenham Court Road where he set up in business with James Cook. Within a few years the partnership had split and John Maple decided to run the business on his own. He began to succeed with what was at first a very small business, despite a fire and a building collapse. In fact, he was so successful that he was able to afford a good education for his son, John Blundell Maple (Blundell was his wife’s maiden name).

At the age of 16, John Blundell Maple joined his father’s business, which began to take off in ways never before imagined. John Blundell Maple had exceptional business skills and while still a young man was running the company. The British Empire was spreading round the world and Maples seized the opportunity – by the 1880s it was the largest furniture store on the planet. John Blundell Maple’s skills and vision were crucial and the moment was right for expansion.

Maples manufactured their own luxury furniture in a complex eventually so vast that by the 1880s it occupied an area where once stood 200 houses. They were timber importers, and exporters of furniture and fittings to all parts of the world. They used steam power and electricity, had a fleet of horse-drawn vans, depository and showrooms, and employed a vast workforce.

Maples’ market was the middle class and upwards – anyone anywhere who had money. They furnished palaces all over the world, including Tsar Nicholas’s Winter Palace, the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, all the great hotels, and town and country homes. Maples furnished all prestigious British embassies, even if it meant carrying a grand piano up the Khyber Pass on packhorses.

After the end of World War II and the change in tastes and the manufacturing cost factors, the decline started. In 1980 the furniture maker Warring & Gillow joined with Maple & Co., to become Maple, Waring & Gillow. It subsequently became part of Allied Maples Group Ltd, which includes Allied Carpets. In 1997 it went into administration and was taken over by the retailer Allders.

External Dimensions:

Internal Dimensions

Hanging Cupboard:

Max Height = 149.5cm / 58⅞” / 4ft 10⅞”
Height (from top of metal rail) = 146.5cm / 57⅝” / 4ft 9⅝”
Width = 60cm / 23⅝” / 1ft 11⅝”
Depth = 49.5cm / 19½” / 1ft 7½”

Shelf Above Hanging Cupboard:

Height = 30.5cm / 12” / 1ft
Width = 60cm / 23⅝” / 1ft 11⅝”
Depth = 47cm / 18½” / 1ft 6½”

The above internal dimensions relate to the internal space of the internal shelf and the brass hanging rails.  This may be useful if you have clothes of a certain length or coat hangers of a certain width.

Condition Report:

This is an exhibition quality antique English large Victorian Maple & Co. wardrobe, constructed from olive wood, inspired by the aesthetic movement, comprising a bow-front centre, flanked by two full-length mirrored doors, decorated with stunning carved detail, circa 1880, in excellent original condition.  This Victorian wardrobe was retailed and sold by Maple & Co. of London.  Nominal old use marks to the leading edges of the frame, but nothing significant considering its age.  The wardrobe has been cleaned and wax-polished by hand in our workshop to a professional standard.  The doors and drawers all close comfortably.  All the original drawer and door locks are present (including a working key) with the original brass handles and escutcheons. The wardrobe doors retain the original bevel glass, which show minor signs of foxing is certain places.  All internal drawers and linen slides are present.  The drawer runs smoothly and closes flush to the frame.  The wardrobe is raised on its original moulded plinth and retains its original pelmet.  The wardrobe also features the original backboards.  This olive wood wardrobe is solid in joint and ready to use.

Terms & Conditions:

Before you purchase this item, please ensure you have read and are in agreement with our Terms & Conditions of Sale. If you have any questions regarding our Terms & Conditions of Sale, please contact us to discuss them, before purchasing this item.

Ref. 107726