French Armoire

At a glance

• Family: Armoires & Hutches
• Periods most often found: Louis XV provincial (curved cornice, cabriole feet, scrolled panels) was made from about 1750 well into the 19th century.
• Typical price: about $3,500; range $1,200 to $12,000 and more for exceptional pieces
• What drives value: Regional carving quality, solid wood, original hardware and key, height under 8 ft for US ceilings, mirrored or glazed doors

What it is

The armoire is the great cupboard of the French house: two tall doors over a plinth, crowned by a cornice, built to hold the household's linen. In Normandy, Brittany, Provence and the Bresse it became a dowry piece, ordered for a marriage and carved with symbols of the couple's hopes. Paris workshops made sober oak and mahogany versions, while the regions developed their own vocabularies, from the crested "armoire de mariage" of the Pays de Caux to the light, scrolling walnut of Arles. Most armoires on the market today date from the late 18th to the late 19th century, alongside honest 20th-century copies in the same styles.

How to identify and date it

Start with the construction. A period armoire is assembled with mortise-and-tenon joints held by wooden pegs, so it can be dismantled for moving; the cornice lifts off, the doors slide off their long "fiche" hinges and the sides come apart. Look for hand-planed backboards, irregular pegs, hand-forged keys and escutcheons, and shrinkage that has made round pegs slightly proud of the surface. Carving tells you the region more than the date: baskets of flowers, doves and quivers for wedding pieces, shells and acanthus for Louis XV inspiration, fluting and ribbons for Louis XVI.

Periods and styles

Louis XV provincial (curved cornice, cabriole feet, scrolled panels) was made from about 1750 well into the 19th century. Louis XVI and Directoire forms are straighter, with fluted stiles. Louis-Philippe and Second Empire armoires (1830-1870) often have a single mirrored door and machine-cut moldings, and the "armoire à glace" of 1880-1930 is the most common type sold today.

How much is it worth?

On the US retail market, most french armoire examples ask around $3,500. Simple or worn pieces start near $1,200, while documented, signed or exceptional examples can pass $12,000. The main value drivers are: regional carving quality, solid wood, original hardware and key, height under 8 ft for us ceilings, mirrored or glazed doors. These are indicative ranges, not an appraisal; see our price guide for French antiques for the method.

Questions buyers ask: antique armoire wardrobe value; how much is an antique armoire worth; antique armoire with mirror value. The answer depends on the points below, which are worth checking before you compare prices.

Before you buy

• Measure the height without the cornice and check your ceilings and stairways
• Open every door and test the hinges and lock
• Look inside for a later shelf conversion, hanging rail or drilled holes for TV wiring
• Check the feet for replacements and woodworm
• Ask whether it dismantles and how it will be crated

Living with it

An armoire anchors a bedroom or a dining room as a linen press, a bar or a book cupboard. Keep the wall around it quiet, let the carving show against limewash or plain plaster, and leave the doors' patina alone rather than refinishing it.