Victorian Metal Doctors Medicine Cabinet

[olecanalantiques]

Hi guys!!

So im sure most of you have seen my latest score. I picked up a REALLY neat Metal & Porcelain Medicine Cabinet with Cabriole Legs and beveled glass..

It looks like they can bring big bucks!! I just sold one last week for $200, it was missing the shelves and the left and right side panels of glass were cracked. Of course it was much bigger.. I am curious what one like this would be worth? I like it because it's a smaller variation, and it does have both shelves. i think i may have some glass cut for the shelves. i have two big sheets of old bubble gum glass that came out of an old antique display case..

[waywardangler]

Wow, those legs are bulged out!  What style do they call that?  It is not aesthetically pleasing to my eye even though it may be worth $$$.

[olecanalantiques]

Isn't it called Cabriole Style??

[hosman321]

Reminds me of that pickers episode where Mike bought that cast iron table/plant stand. I think it had a marble top? I think it was even the same color. Same episode as the old headstone.

[jacon4]

Yep, the legs are called cabriole and similar in shape to Queen Anne furniture legs, a popular style in 1740-1760.

[mariok54]

Wow, those legs are bulged out!  What style do they call that?  It is not aesthetically pleasing to my eye even though it may be worth $$$.

Reminds me of an old uncle of mine, 5' in his stocking feet, and you could have driven a bus between his legs  .. we called him bow-legged!

He said that he had originally been 6' tall and ram-rod straight, and blamed a parachute that didn't quite open 

[KC]

I like them!  They are old!

$350+ in my neck of the woods!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Great place to display some marbles!

[cogar]

Now why would anyone put that type of legs on a medicine cabinet?

Surely whoever manufactured the cabinet wouldn't have, ....... would they?

[Oceans64]

The legs would be handy for storing a larger piece of equipment...  Easier to pull out and get back in maybe.

[waywardangler]

I would think a larger base would be easier for large equipment removal, if that were the case.  The vertical rectangular top with the extreme bulged out legs just looks weird to me.

Here is a similar one on eBay with more flowing legs.  Asking $550 but no takers with 13h left.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Medical-Cabinet-Pristine-/330503924254?pt=Antiques_Furniture

[olecanalantiques]

Like i said i just sold one last week, same Cabriole legs..

http://valleypicks4u.com/doctorscabinet.html

http://antiquealleydenver.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=aad&Product_Code=1007-Med-Cabinet&Category_Code=MTLF

[KC]

I actually think it takes a "sterile" looking environment of a "yester-year" doctors' office and make it seem a little more "friendly".  Better than straight, no personality legs when most other items in the office were/are.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I agree with KC- It looks to me like it is make to be nicer than straight and sterile, but also I think it is kind of an early transition piece from the point in time when the medical profession became aware that metal could be sanitized much more easily than wood. But I am just speculating on this, perhaps we can find more info?

[talesofthesevenseas]

Here's a little on sterilization of medical instruments:

"...by the beginning of the 20th century, instruments were made entirely of metal that could be made germ free. The changeover came slowly to many, however, including Dr. Samuel Gross, who was one of the leading surgeons and teachers of the late 19th century (60). Sterilization using a carbolic spray (61) marked the beginning of aseptic technique and the end of fine instrumentation - and instrument collecting."