Hickory Manufacturing Co. French Provincial Oak Bibliothèque with Wire Grille Doors

A French Provincial-style bibliothèque by Hickory Manufacturing Co. in solid oak, built in the Louis XV manner: a stepped dentil cornice crowns the case above paired arched doors fitted with woven hexagonal wire grille panels — the French farmhouse alternative to glass that keeps contents aired and accessible while maintaining the cabinet's architectural presence. The upper rail and shaped apron are carved with floral sprays and rosettes; the lower apron repeats the motif with a central shell cartouche. Cast brass escutcheons and a matching long-plate pull dress the door stiles, with exposed brass pin hinges running the full height of each door. The reverse is stamped "1618-13 CHINA / LOT 946 COG. 86," placing this piece in Hickory's later production run — a period when the company continued to manufacture traditional American case furniture in the regional styles they had championed since 1911.

The interior is finished in matching oak with two adjustable tempered glass shelves in the upper chamber, a fixed mid-shelf housing a single dovetailed drawer, and an open lower compartment behind carved lower door panels. A pair of interior lights are mounted to the upper case and wired to a single cord exiting the back panel; the lights have been tested and function.

Hickory Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1911 in Hickory, North Carolina — the heart of American furniture country — and over the course of the twentieth century became one of the region's anchoring traditional case-goods makers. The company produced formal American and European revival styles aimed squarely at buyers who wanted genuine solid-wood construction and period-appropriate ornament rather than the veneer-over-particleboard shortcuts that proliferated in mass-market furniture after World War II. Their French Provincial line drew directly from the Norman and Provençal cabinet traditions: dentil cornices, shaped aprons, carved florals, and hardware scaled to the architecture of the piece. Collectors of traditional American furniture seek Hickory Manufacturing pieces for the same reason they seek out Henredon, Karges, or Councill — the wood is real, the joinery holds, and the carving was done by people who knew the style.

CONDITION

Very Good overall with gentle signs of use and no remarkable damage. One door pull does not match its mate. The power cord shows a previous repair; interior lighting tested and working.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 81 3/4" H × 55" W × 20" D
• Maker: Hickory Manufacturing Co. (est. 1911, Hickory, NC)
• Rear Stamp: 1618-13 CHINA / LOT 946 COG. 86
• Primary Material: Solid Oak
• Door Inserts: Woven Hexagonal Wire Grille
• Shelves: (2) Adjustable Tempered Glass
• Drawer: (1) Dovetailed Oak
• Lighting: (2) Interior Lights, Single Power Cord — Tested, Working
• Bob Ross (6'2") Shown for Scale — Not Included