This antique wooden barrel with iron hoops features a wide cylindrical body of oak staves held by hand-forged iron hoops and upper and lower radial tops. It measures 46 × 46 × 54 cm. It originates from Hungary, from the first half of the twentieth century, where oak was worked in rural cooperage to store wine, grain or family preserves.
Medium barrels from central Europe belonged to the functional furniture of the peasant house and family cellars. Built following traditional cooperage — bent staves, press-fitted iron hoops, fixed tops — they served to store young wine, pickles, fat or grain. The wide diameter of this variant prioritised internal volume with a more contained height.
The body is built with vertical solid oak staves, hand-shaped and bent following the classical barrel profile. Hand-forged iron hoops hold the staves under pressure without need for nails. The upper top and base consist of radial boards fixed at the upper and lower rims respectively.
The oak patina keeps a warm natural tone, darkened in areas of continuous contact. The hand-forged iron hoops show stable oxidation. The surface bears no added varnish or lacquer and allows clear reading of the joints between staves and the forged pins of the hoops.
With its 46 cm wide diameter and 54 cm height, this barrel works as a low decorative piece in rustic interiors, terraces, restaurants and eclectic projects. It also serves as an auxiliary side table, a decorative stand or an accent piece. It suits wabi-sabi, European country chic, French brocante and contemporary interiors with historical piece presence.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 46 cm – Width 46 cm – Height 54 cm
- Style: Rustic
- Materials and techniques: Solid oak staves; hand-forged iron hoops; top and base of radial boards.
- Place of origin: Hungary
- Period: First half of the twentieth century
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
- Condition: Good. Oak staves with warm patina and hand-forged iron hoops with stable oxidation. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE