Bay Colony Antiques is proud to offer for sale this fantastic early 19th century antique Flame Birch corner washstand. Washstands once played an important role in an early American home but began being phased out during the Victorian era when more homes were fitted with indoor plumbing. A pitcher of fresh water would be kept on the lower shelf with a wash basin in the large cut out. Soap, and other toiletries would be kept in a dish in the smaller ones. The upper ledge was generally for candles, but this ledge has slightly warped over time making it ill-fitting for a candle. We think the cupping is quite charming and it was likely caused by an old owner’s habit of placing a damp hand towel on the shelf after washing at the stand.
The washstand is Birch, Cherry, and Maple, all local timbers that were prevalent throughout New England. We really don’t care for the Georgian Mahogany examples and lately have only been purchasing early American country examples like this one. The English Mahogany stands are well made, but they made a ton of them, and for a few hundred dollars more you can own a much rarer American stand. The stand likely has New Hampshire origins, but because the form persisted throughout the area, we have this marketed simply as a New England stand. The Flame Birch is superb & was deliberately orientated with opposing curls on the legs to create a mesmerizing visual effect. Both horizontal transitions also have opposing curls balancing out the design. The drawer has a figured maple face, and the gallery surrounding the top is Cherry. The gallery has an attractive scrolling pattern descending down the sides and showcases a nice set of hand cut dovetails at the back corner. The stand is in fantastic condition with our only notes being minor surface wear, and an old repair to the proper right leg. The stand measures 25” wide x 15” deep (16” including knob) x 41 3/4” tall.
