A glazed cabinet is a cabinet with glass doors, and often glass sides, designed to display and protect its contents. The term covers display cabinets, china cabinets, vitrines, side cabinets with glazed doors and corner cabinets, and it applies to pieces made for porcelain, glass, silver, curiosities and books.
Glazed cabinets became widespread in the eighteenth century, as collecting porcelain from China and Europe became fashionable and furniture was needed to show it off. Georgian examples often have doors divided by fine glazing bars, while French vitrines of the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles were fitted with gilt-bronze mounts and painted panels. During the Victorian and Edwardian periods glazed display cabinets were made in large numbers, in mahogany, rosewood and satinwood, often with inlay and serpentine or bow fronts, and many were made by firms such as Edwards & Roberts and Maple & Co. When buying, check the glass for replacements and cracks, the fit of the doors and the condition of any interior shelves and locks. A glazed cabinet makes an ideal home for a collection, and lighting it carefully from within can bring out the colour and detail of the objects displayed.
