French Porte-Clés Key Cabinet, c. 1920

In the French home, the entryway was never an afterthought. It was the first impression — the space where keys were hung, post was sorted, and guests got their first glimpse of how a household was kept. This antique wall cabinet (porte-clés) is a perfect example of how the French elevated even the most practical objects into something genuinely beautiful.

A tall, slender wall cabinet in the Louis XV Revival style, standing approximately 21" high. The upper section features a raised-panel door with a brass knob, inset with a botanical print and housing interior key hooks. The lower section is a generous mail slot (porte-courrier) with a serpentine wave molding — wide enough for letters, cards, and correspondence. The arched bonnet top is crowned with a carved ribbon-and-bow crest, and a small carved foliate medallion anchors the bottom apron.

The framed print set into the door depicts Pyrethrum — a genus of the daisy/chrysanthemum family — rendered in the precise, elegant style of 17th–18th century French and Flemish herbariums. The Latin caption reads: "Pyrethrum alt. min. cr. igne radice Anthemidis flore tab." Whether an original period print or a period reproduction, it is exquisitely scaled and utterly charming behind its wooden frame.

21" H × 8" W × 3.5" D