Cupboard

Britain in early modern period was ahead of the rest of Europe in terms of hygiene awareness and its impact on health even before the introduction and popularisation of sewerage. As early as the second half of the 18th century, small cupboards began to be used in England to conceal the pot. In Europe, the practice was adopted in the first half of the 19th century. In the exquisitely furnished bedroom, pot cupboards were shaped to match the design of the interior. They were sometimes installed together with the washbasin. Their shape referred to the prevailing style. This cupboard took the shape of the pedestals commonly used in residential interiors, resembling a truncated column. They were used to display decorative and utilitarian objects. The pot cupboard from a past era is nowadays a rare and therefore all the more interesting relic of 19th century bedroom furnishings. 

Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967