Highboard Cabinet in Rio Rosewood by Oswald Vermaercke, Belgium — 1960

Exceptional Highboard-style storage cabinet (tall sideboard) designed in the 1960s by the celebrated Belgian designer Oswald Vermaercke. This centrepiece perfectly embodies the golden age of Belgian modernist design and the Scandinavian refinement that so strongly influenced Belgian creation during the mid-twentieth century.

Quality of Materials and Woodwork:
This piece is distinguished by the use of Rio rosewood (Brazilian Rosewood) veneer of remarkable quality. The wood grain — dark, contrasted and deeply expressive — has been meticulously selected and applied in “book-matched” fashion across the doors and the upper top. The flame-like figuring of the rosewood lends this cabinet a unique sculptural presence and a highly decorative dimension.

Design and Features:

The cabinet presents a superb geometric façade divided into two distinct sections:

• Upper section: opens via two hinged doors onto a fitted interior comprising shelves and removable vertical dividers, ideal for use as a bar or writing cabinet.

• Lower section: fitted with two sliding doors optimising space, revealing generous adjustable storage shelves.

The signature detail lies in its handles: magnificent rectangular finger-pulls, sculpted in recess directly from the solid wood, typical of Oswald Vermaercke’s craftsmanship. The whole rests on a slender, tapered sledge base, which lends an impression of airy lightness that contrasts elegantly with the robustness of the cabinet’s body.

This piece is in excellent original condition. The original varnish has retained all its lustre, revealing the superb natural, warm patina of the rosewood. Structure perfectly sound and stable. The doors and sliders operate with fluidity. Only minimal traces of use in keeping with its age. Excellent condition, very fine patina.

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