Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Dole cupboard


I made a little hanging dole cupboard yesterday.

A dole or livery cupboard was used either to store food in the private areas of a medieval or early Tudor house for the use of the family, or was used to distribute left over food to the poor, usually in a church or in a great house.

It's related to an aumbry, which was also used for food storage.  Both pieces of furniture have piercings or spindles so that air can circulate.  In fact dole cupboard, aumbry,  almery cupboard and livery are often used interchangeable.  Some sit on the floor, and others hang on the wall.


It's very rough because I really bodged it together, mostly out of balsa wood, which guarantees that a piece is going to be extra rustic :)  But the door actually opens and closes and I like the effect when it's hung in the bedchamber.

There's one of the beautiful cushions Flora gave me!

15 comments:

  1. Its amazing ! clever you! Really love the cabinet, the colour of the wood is great, you wouldnt believe its just balsa!! Kate xxx

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  2. Oh! Wow, Nina!Clever Lady:)Great furniture! Beautiful colour!

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  3. Your Dole Cupboard is wonderful.
    I'm quite interested in the tudor period and I've heard of an Aumbry before but not a dole cupboard, where do you get all your infomation from? I think I need to swat up :o)

    Thanks for sharing

    Angela

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  4. ¡Que bonitos! el trabajo que esta haciendo es una maravilla,me gusta mucho tambien el estilo de la puerta de la cocina ,muchas gracias por dejarnos ver el paso a paso ,soy muy novata y agradezco mucho todas las explicaciones ,saludos

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  5. Well done you! It looks authentically rustic. The detailed spindles make it much more interesting than using plain ones. Exactly what the Tudors would do.

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  6. Hello Nina, I just noticed that my previous comments have disappeared! In summary: the door you built for the kitchen is fantastic; the light environments is very realistic and not wait to see the whole house; and this cupboard is really nice and perfect color.
    How good is the pillow: just like I imagined him :-)
    Mini hugs, flora

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  7. Hi Nina,

    I love your Dole cupboard! It looks fantastic on the wall. I also had never heard of this but knew about the aumbry cupboard. I love that one you made too.
    Have you ever looked at Ann High's medieval pieces?

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  8. Te ha quedado espectacular. Me encanta como te ha quedado.
    Besitos, May

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  9. Thanks, Kate and Ewa!

    Angela -- I came across the word while I was teaching myself about aumbries :) The internet is amazing!

    sagrario -- thank you, a
    nd thanks for your nice comments about the kitchen door! I'm pretty much a beginner, too, compared to most of the people I've met online, and I love it when people are willing to share their knowledge and experience :)

    Irene: Thank you! Without the turned spindles it would be distressingly rustic, I think :) It's amazing how one little detail like that can make the rest of it look okay!

    Flora -- I'm so glad you got to see your cushion in the house! I love them so much -- they had to be for the bed chamber :)

    Catherine -- thanks! I LONG for one of Ann High's pieces -- even more, one of my mini-goals in life is to do a workshop with her and make something (anything!) She's amazing. By the way, I just ordered three plates from Stokesay :)

    May -- thank you so much!

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  10. It's wonderful! I had never heard of one before but it makes sense for that time period. What a great piece!

    Jody

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  11. I think you have done very well, Nina.

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  12. Hello Nina! please, write to Paki (your partner for the Holiday Swap) your home address! she wants to send you the package of Holiday Swap, but she can not contact you ...
    or send me your address, I will step Paki! is urgent! thanks!
    kisses, Caterina

    katiamilella@tiscali.it

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  13. La admiro por el trabajo de documentación que esta haciendo para realizar su casa.
    El mueble es genial
    un abrazo

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  14. It;s charming - clever lady!!

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  15. It looks perfect. I am a great fan of balsa it is so forgiving of an incompetent 'carpenter' like myself!

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