Today’s blog post is in reference to an item posted, which is now already sold! The item is an antique Gothic revival cabinet, likely of French origin with monk motif. While the cabinet is a beautiful example of Gothic Revival furniture and in great condition, the real treasure lies inside. On opening the cabinet, the interior reveals an exotic array of mounted items used to repel and kill vampires. On the inside of the door, for ready access is mounted 4 large wooden stakes, carved with Gothic motif, and a large wooden mallet, also carved with Gothic motif, all hand-carved in wonderful detail and period to the cabinet circa 1890’s-1900 timeframe. Also on the lower portion of the door is a heavy bifurcated steel pronged spike with carved wooden saint handle, possibly depicting Mary.
The interior of the cabinet features a French bible mounted with a bronze or brass crucifix and with gold leaf edged pages and filled with etchings throughout. There is also a series of three bottles or flasks, two with wooden cross shaped stoppers, and the third with a Gothic carved stopper. One bottle contains what appears to be holy water, one bottle contains what appears to be salt and the third contains what appears to be garlic. There is also a large clever measuring 24” long, as legend has it after the vampire was staked and to prevent reanimation, the vampire’s head would need to be removed and buried separately. The handle on the clever is also carved with the same Gothic motif and matches the mallet as well as two other implements. The next implement is a typo of hammer, also with the same carved Gothic motif, and another large implement with a circular brass or metal embossed image of Jesus with sharp triangular steel blades emanating from the center and with matching Gothic motif carved handle.
In addition there are two small swords or daggers with carved wooden Saint handles. The left side has a hand-carved wooden crucifix rendered in great detail, that even the ribs are visible in the carving, as well as great detail in the face. There are two other stylized wooden crosses on the inside of the cabinet and beneath the main cabinet is a drawer with two more crucifixes mounted with brass or bronze Savior and another cross.
The cabinet is one of the most unusual that I have ever seen. Vampire kits as some of these are called are typically carried by hand in a small case. The original ones were made typically after Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published, which captured the attention of Victorian era Europeans and Americans. Some were made in Philadelphia for travelers heading to Eastern Europe to be used should they encounter a vampire. There have been many cabinets assembled since that time, and often considered fakes or honorific kits from the 1970’s onward, and even available today on eBay. Many of these include brand new items, made to look old, and others include genuine antique items, but put together at a later date.
This cabinet is the only large piece of furniture filled with these items that I have seen or found anywhere. The pieces inside as well as the cabinet all appear to be period to about 1900.
We are proud that this unusual historical cabinet has been in stock for a very short time and sold to a Florida museum for public display.
Antique Gothic Revival Vampire Killing Cabinet