Antique Gothic Revival Oak Aumbry with Pierced Tracery

A striking 16th-century style oak aumbry or dole cupboard, most probably a 19th-century Wardour Street*, London, creation. This evocative piece features an oversailing top above a single door, the front pierced and carved with Gothic tracery and stylised foliage. The interior is shelved, making it both decorative and functional.

The form echoes medieval ecclesiastical furniture used for storing alms or sacred vessels, and its revivalist execution suggests a Victorian fascination with Gothic craftsmanship. The pierced panels and pegged construction are consistent with the aesthetic of the Gothic Revival, while the patina and wear lend it an authentic period feel.

• Provenance: Possibly made in London’s Wardour Street workshops, c.1850–1880. An almost identical example is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York - Reference Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1910, Object Number: 10.121.2, where it is questioned if their example is 16th-century or a 19th-century copy.

• Condition: Structurally sound; minor surface wear and age-related marks consistent with use

• Dimensions:

  • Height: approx. 90 cm (35 3/8")

  • Width: approx. 80.5 cm (31 5/8")

  • Depth: approx. 44.5 cm (17 1/2")

A cabinet of character—where Victorian imagination meets medieval form, ready to anchor any interior with storied depth.

* Wardour Street, London: A Brief History - A Legacy of Furniture Copyists

Wardour Street in Soho, London, holds a distinguished place in the history of British furniture making and antique dealing. From the mid-19th century through the early 20th century, it became synonymous with high-quality reproductions and adaptations of classical furniture styles.

One of the most notable firms was Edwards & Roberts, established in 1845 at 21 Wardour Street. They were renowned for crafting and retailing fine copies of 18th-century English designs—particularly those of Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton—as well as French styles evocative of the Regency and Rococo periods. Their work often blurred the lines between original craftsmanship and faithful reproduction, making it difficult to distinguish between workshop-made pieces, outsourced commissions, and antique restorations.

By the late Victorian era, Edwards & Roberts had expanded across multiple locations in Soho and Belgravia, operating antique furniture warehouses and exhibiting internationally, including at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. Their output included ebonised cabinets, marquetry tables, and satinwood-inlaid bookcases—many of which were stamped with their name, now prized by collectors.

The tradition of furniture copying on Wardour Street flourished primarily during the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, aligning with a broader cultural revival of Georgian and earlier styles. These copyists catered to a growing market of connoisseurs and decorators seeking the elegance of past centuries, often with modern adaptations.

Today, Wardour Street’s legacy lives on in the antique trade, where discerning eyes still seek the hallmarks of its celebrated copyists—whose work combined artistry, scholarship, and commercial flair.