A cellaret was the “wine rack” of the 18th century. Meaning “little cellar,” it is a small cabinet-like piece of furniture that people would use to hold bottles of liquor. The inside of the cellaret usually contained drawers or a rack, suitable to hold multiple bottles of wine.
Cellarets were typically kept underneath the dining room table. It was often fitted with a lock to keep servants from drinking their master’s wine. Though they were kept underneath a table, and out of sight, they were often beautifully created. They were frequently made to be round, oval and even octagonal. Sometimes accented in bronze and usually made out of rich mahogany or rosewood, cellarets were adorned with Roman motifs and even sarcophagi with animal detailing. Some even had a small drawer where the owner could store a bottle on ice to ensure it would be chilled in time for dinner. The metal-lined drawer would have a little spigot, so that the melting ice could be drained easily. The metal partition was usually made from zinc.
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Beautiful as they were, the cellaret lived a short life. The evolution of larger cupboards and dining furniture was on the rise. Large sideboards that could hold multiple items replaced it, and the cellaret was no longer of use after the 19th century.
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