L'armoire, l'histoire

Foraging around the vide greniers and brocantes of the most south westerly part of France, we found few antiques but unearthed a few fascinating facts. Bruno Brocante, as we call him, sat us down one afternoon and shared his passion with us for on of the world’s most celebrated items of French furniture.

I had always understood that the term armoire was somehow derived from the French word for love, and was therefore offered as part of a dowry or as a gift to newly weds. It is amazing both how far from the truth and spot on my notion was. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the armoire was in fact originally built to house a nobleman’s arms and armour or armure. After the end of the 100 years war, and during the relative peace that ensued, this colossus was decommissioned and became an item of domestic furniture. The more modern, post 15th century, armoire was used to protect the home’s most valuable items; namely documents, fine linens, silver and glassware.

Being the most important item in the home, gradually the armoire did become part of a woman’s dowry. It is said that that on the day a daughter was born a tree was selected and felled. Left to season as the daughter grew up the wood was to eventually reappear on her wedding night as a depository for the young couple’s other gifts.

At Roullier White I am often met look with looks of surprise and disbelief when we deliver antique armoires to our customers in several pieces. In fact the armoire is the original flat pack. Often over eight feet in height and over four feet wide, and also built over several years, the only way of moving the item was in pieces. That is why, having been neglected for decades, near perfect armoires still turn up at the back of barns or stacked away in attics, free from the trauma suffered by other bulky items.

Although often plain many armoires come with a carved top, depicting the cornucopian icons of grapes and vines. A bride who had been freer with her virtue would blush to spot a pear amongst the filigree foliage. This is said to have been sneaked in as a warning to the groom by the local craftsmen. That ominous fruit must have been food for thought for the whole village.