Brittany, with its Celtic roots has a history of a very distinctive furniture style, delightfully naïve and whimsical, yet practical.  The Bretons have always had a great love of ornamentation, whether it is floral, animal, or human motifs always in an original and imaginative country style.  Scenes from the country, the city, festivities, and feasts are common themes found on panels of Brittany antiques.

An homme-debout is a piece of furniture half the size of a normal sized armoire, has an upper and lower cabinet with a drawer in between the top and bottom cabinets and was used for storing a gentleman’s clothing.  The French woman’s counterpart is the bonnetiere which was used for storing bonnets and headwear.  It can be the same size but has a single door and no drawers.

 Homme debout translates to standing gentleman, and legend has it, that it was used as a hiding place for armed  Royalist insurgents during the Revolution.  The middle drawer’s bottom panel was removed allowing a gentleman to stand up in the piece and hide. This homme-debout has panels on its two front doors depicting men and women in country scenes.  It is carved in relief from a single piece of wood.  The border’s ornamentation has stylized leaves. 

This antique French Homme Debout will provide much conversation wherever it is placed. Condition:  Minor rubs, age separations, minor loss of wood to bottom back border